BASINGSTOKE MP Andrew Hunter says he is prepared to suspend his threat to name and shame the town's hospital in the House of Commons so managers can grapple with serious lapses in care for elderly patients.

After a meeting with hospital chief executive Mary Edwards, which was also attended by The Gazette, Mr Hunter said: "I hope that over the minimum period possible, there will be the establishment and maintenance of very high standards."

He said for the time being there was "no basis" on which to carry out his threat in light of what had been said in this week's meeting.

He added: "I'm going to watch the situation very, very closely indeed. I meet with the hospital management regularly and that will continue to be the case."

Last week, The Gazette reported how Mr Hunter was prepared to name and shame after receiving disturbing accounts of care for elderly patients on E floor. These were triggered by the heartfelt poem of Terry Crame, a nurse in the hospital's children's department, which criticised the care received by her mother Alma on E floor before her death in April, aged 77. The poem was published in The Gazette and led others to write in about their complaints and worries about E and D floors.

Mr Hunter added: "I think what is needed is the focus by the hospital on the ingredients of good care and going through the pecking order. I think first of all it is good quality ward sisters, though I'm not saying they don't have them now.

"Then, I think, a move away from agency nursing is imperative and, thirdly, there has to be considerable emphasis on the training and supervision of care assistants."

Mr Hunter said when he opened his mail after the meeting this week, he found another allegation of poor nursing care.

He continued: "I think one can say the evidence points to there being a number of lapses that are unacceptable."

He said: "I would like to think the role which I have played, and which The Gazette has played, has focused minds on this - giving the issue the attention it deserves."