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Bella Bailey died after receiving sub-standard care at the now-infamous Stafford Hospital. Her daughter Julie talks to Louise Naughton about why she refuses to give up her campaign to 'Cure the NHS'
There are a lot of words people use to describe Julie Bailey - campaigner and activist are just two examples. After talking with her, the words that strike me centre around what a devoted daughter she was, and very much still is, through her work with 'Cure the NHS', the campaigning group she founded in the memory of her late mother. It is the loss Julie suffered when her beloved mother died in Stafford Hospital in 2007 that begins her NHS story.
The scandal that engulfed the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, where up to 1,200 unnecessary deaths occurred between 2005 and 2009, has now been examined in all its horrible detail by the media, and by the NHS itself. It is a story that has shaken the very foundations of the health service and one that still has very real consequences today. Five official inquires later and, shamefiilly, not one person - manager, clinician or politician - has been held accountable for the abhorrent care that was allowed to continue for so long.
Bella's story
Julie begins by telling me how her mother, Bella, came to be under the care of staff at Stafford Hospital - a tale that has been splashed across newspapers, radio and television. Although she must have recounted this story many times to the public, politicians and NHS, I still feel as though I am the first person to hear it. Her pain is no less and her emotions are as tangible as ever.
After Bella suffered a stroke in 2000, it was decided that she and Julie would move from their home in South Wales back to Stafford to be nearer family after feeling 'isolated' by her debilitating condition. A brief spell as an inpatient at Stafford Hospital introduced Julie and Bella to the chaotic Mid Staffs environment, where a mix-up meant Bella was discharged before she had started eating properly. This was despite Julie being told by doctors and nurses that her mother had begun eating normally and regularly.
'It took me ages to get...