Health boss 'betrayed the values of the NHS'

Martin Yeates, who is the chief executive of the Impact Alcohol and Addiction Services based in Telford, was previously cheif executive at the scandal-hit Stafford Hospital for four years.

During that time hundreds of people died needlessly.

An £11 million review of what went wrong at the hospital between January 2005 and March 2009 looks set to call for sweeping changes to the NHS.

It will suggest hospitals that cover up mistakes by doctors and poor treatment of patients should face fines and possible closure.

Between 400 and 1,200 more people died than would have been expected over a three-year period when Mr Yeates was chief executive.

Mr Hunt said that the NHS now needed a "change of culture". "Patients must never be treated as numbers but as human beings, indeed human beings at their frailest and most vulnerable," he said.

"A culture of targets and performance management defined the NHS under Labour – with the unintended and tragic consequence that organisations cared more about meeting top down targets than focusing on the needs of patients."

He added: "We are rightly proud of the core founding values of the NHS, particularly that no one, regardless of income, should be deprived of the best care.

"These failings of basic human compassion represent perhaps the most shocking betrayal of NHS founding values in its history.

"And a betrayal of the vast majority of doctors, nurses and care assistants who joined the profession because of their innate compassion and humanity."

During the inquiry into failings in standards of care at the hospital, Mr Yeates did not give evidence in person due to stress-related illness, with his solicitor claiming his client 'would probably never work again'.

Last summer he became chief executive of Impact, which has provided alcohol and addiction services across the county since 2000.

By Ann Clarkson

• Star comment: Disgrace of former NHS chief’s role