Second inquiry to be held into Mid Staffordshire trust

The Department of Health in England has announced a second inquiry into Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, which recently received a highly critical report for its failings in care.

The government is also set to consult on changes to legislation that will allow the health secretary to order the regulatory body, Monitor, to strip any foundation trust of its foundation status in exceptional circumstances.

The health secretary, Andy Burnham, made the announcement as part of several measures from the Department of Health to tackle what he called “exceptional failures” in foundation trusts.

The trust was heavily criticised earlier this year by former regulator the Healthcare Commission after being found to have “appalling” …