Whistleblower: ‘I owe it to Mum to keep campaigning’
Julie Bailey, 57, says, “From the moment I walked into Stafford Hospital, I was horrified. The corridors were crammed full of patients and those with dementia were wandering around aimlessly. Food was placed out of reach of patients, pleas for medication were ignored, and people were left in dirty sheets for hours.
“I even saw elderly people drinking water out of flower vases because they were so dehydrated. We knew we couldn’t leave Mum alone – not even for a second. “We clung on to the fact that we’d been told Mum’s condition was treatable, but after four weeks, a nurse was helping her go to the toilet and dropped her.
HEARTBREAKING
“Everything changed after that. Her breathing worsened, and she was diagnosed with heart failure – but she wasn’t given the drugs she needed to recover. Two weeks later, Mum died.
“Leaving the hospital that day, I knew I wasn’t going to let them get away with it. I couldn’t bear the thought of somebody else having to go through what Mum had.
“I’d tried to complain via official channels, but had little response. Instead, I turned to the local newspaper. I took out an advert, launching my campaign, Cure The NHS, and asked to speak to anyone else who had similar stories.
“Within days, I was flooded with letters from people, and each one was more heartbreaking than the last. There was a lady who had lost every member of her close family – her mother, father, and her husband.
“But not everyone was supportive. Stafford Hospital was a huge employer in the area, and people felt I was criticising the NHS. I received threats on social media, my car tyres were slashed, and Mum’s grave was vandalised.
COMPLICATED
“But I was determined to get a full public inquiry into the practices at the Mid
Staffs Trust. It was a long, complicated process, full of red tape and confusing systems, but finally, in 2011, we got it.
“I sat through every single day of the inquiry. The report was published in 2013, and it was concluded that there had been failures at every level of the NHS. The report gave 290 recommendations, which needed to be implemented across all hospitals to help bring about real change.
“It was a huge victory – but since then I haven’t stopped campaigning. The NHS is still in dire need of more funding and more staff, and I hear stories about failures every day.
“I’ve since been awarded a CBE for my efforts, and now, Channel 4 has turned our story into a drama. It was tough to watch, but I’m glad the scandal is being brought into the spotlight once more.
“I hope Mum would be proud that I’ve continued to campaign in her name. If it wasn’t for her, so many more lives might have been lost.”
By Kristina Beanland
● The Cure will be on Channel 4 on Thurs 19 Dec at 9pm