Nicholson “bitterly regrets” not meeting patient groups at Mid Staffs hospitals in 2009

The outgoing chief executive of NHS England, David Nicholson, has admitted that he “bitterly regrets” his failure to meet with patient groups during a visit to scandal hit Mid Staffordshire hospital trust in 2009, describing the decision as the “biggest mistake” of his eight year tenure in charge of the NHS.

Nicholson, who steps down at the end of this month, said he took the decision at the time in order to avoid a “media circus” like …