Cawston Park shows private hospitals must undergo "cultural change" says Norfolk MP
It comes after serious failings were uncovered at the hospital.
Jerome Mayhew MP is calling on the Government to ensure privately-run hospitals undergo "concrete, cultural change".
It comes after the Norfolk Safeguarding Adults’ Board found a string of serious failings at Cawston Park Hospital, contributed to the deaths of three patients.
The MP for Broadlands, has secured a Adjournment debate on the wider issue of how private hospitals are run, this evening at 7pm.
These sorts of debates give backbenchers the chance to raise issues with ministers in the House of Commons that concern them.
Mr Mayhew told us that he's raising a debate regarding what happened at Cawston, because many privately-run hospitals currently suffer from a serious conflict of interests.
"On the one hand these units are meant to be treating patients to discharge them into the community as quickly as possible.
"But on the other hand they are receiving 26 thousand pounds per month, per patients. So there's currently an incentive to keep them there".
"If you are being paid £26,000 a month to look after a patient and treat them. Then at the end of month you say, 'are they ready for discharge or do they need another month?'...the huge incentive is to say, 'I think they need another month'.
"But that's not in the interest necessarily, of the patient".
Mr Mayhew also told us that these problems won't go away until the right people are brought to justice for their wrong-doing.
"Until we get individual prosecutions of senior managers or directors, if the evidence supports it, that is when you get a change of culture.
"Because that is when people think flip me, I'm at risk of going to prison if I allow this culture to persist".
Mr Mayhew concluded by telling us that another Government report on the matter won't cut it.
"I want the Government to take action. Not just have a report saying 'lessons must been learnt and we've got a recovery plan', because in my view that doesn't mean very much.
"What we need is concrete action to change the structure of how these hospitals work and also the culture in the wider care industry."