Campaigners battling for a public inquiry into shamed Stafford Hospital are to stage a protest outside the ministerial surgery of health secretary Andy Burnham.
Cure the NHS members will travel to Hindley Leisure Centre, in Hindley, Lancashire, on Friday where the MP is holding a meeting with constituents.
About 25 protesters are expected to gather at 5pm, calling on Mr Burnham to go further than previous health secretary Alan Johnson and allow a full public inquiry into the failings at Mid Staffordshire Foundation Trust.
It comes after Mr Burnham revealed to the Birmingham Post that he will reconsider a fresh independent investigation and a team of ministers is wading through the details.
Despite Government-backed investigations into what led to at least 400 unnecessary deaths at Stafford Hospital over three years, campaigners want a public inquiry which will also look into what part Government targets played in the catalogue of failings.
Julie Bailey, who set up Cure the NHS campaign group to improved care at the trust after the death of her mother Isabella Bailey in Stafford Hospital, said members had launched a legal challenge against the health secretary for a public inquiry.
“Members travelled to London two weeks ago and presented evidence from whistleblowers and more than 100 cases of appalling care over the past few years, including many from this year,” said Ms Bailey.
“Our point is also to show him how determined this community is and that we are not going to go away until we get answers.
“We will continue to campaign until we get the truth.”
Ms Bailey added: “The Healthcare Commission report showed every area of governance failed and between 400 and 1,200 patients may have died needlessly. Patients lay in work-house conditions, crying out in pain and forced to drink out of flower vases, because nurses were too stretched to help them.
“We want to know why this was allowed to happen.”
