Verita played a crucial role in the independent inquiry into failings in
patient care at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust between January
2005 and March 2009.
Mid Staffordshire inquiry
The Department of Health commissioned Verita to support the inquiry's own project management team, and advise the inquiry panel and its chair Robert Francis QC.
Verita contacted patient and user groups to encourage them to take part, supported witnesses, assisted in the selection process for those invited to give evidence, devised an effective system for analysing written evidence and identified key themes.
Nearly 1000 individual members of the public and 82 members of trust staff past and present contacted the inquiry panel. The panel heard oral evidence from 113 witnesses.
Director Barry Morris led the five-strong Verita team of Tina Blaxill, Martin Hawkins, Amber Sargent, Hilary Scott and Mary Walker.
Health secretary Andy Burnham announced the independent inquiry in July 2009 to give patients and their families the opportunity to air their concerns about the treatment they had received and identify what had led to so many unexpected deaths so that measures could be taken to improve patient safety.
The inquiry opened in September 2009 and concluded at the beginning of February 2010.