§ Mr. VazTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the death of Mrs. Brenda Jones. [18740]
§ Jacqui SmithThe University Hospitals of Leicester national health service trust is carrying out an urgent investigation into the circumstances surrounding Mrs. Jones' death in the accident and emergency department at Leicester Royal infirmary (LRI) after a considerable time spent waiting on a trolley. Initial investigations indicate that Mrs. Jones' treatment in accident and emergency was appropriate to her presenting condition. A post mortem revealed that she died of a pulmonary embolus and it is believed that this could not have been foreseen. Nevertheless, procedures have been revisited and strengthened and the trust has apologised to her husband.
Following visits to Leicester Royal infirmary by the National Patients Access Team and the Winter and Emergency Services Team (WEST), a remedial action plan has been put in place, to address the problems of long waiting in accident and emergency at the LRI. The regional office continues to work closely with the trust and WEST to help Leicester to meet the new national target, which states that by the end of March 2002 no one should have to wait more than four hours in accident and emergency before admission.
We are determined to tackle the problem of long trolley waits in some parts of the country. The University Hospitals of Leicester NHS trust has received £3.7 million to modernise its accident and emergency department, as part of our £115 million accident and emergency modernisation programme. A further £366,011 was announced last week for extra emergency care nurses at the trust between now and 2003.