Sir, Staff at two hospitals have been criticised by police and by the Oxford Coroner's Court for failing to report to the police that a patient in their care had been the victim of a horrific assault (Hospital errors let killer escape, April 14). The police pointed out that, because they were only alerted when the patient died of his injury three weeks later, their murder inquiry was seriously handicapped through loss of evidence and inability to interview possible witnesses promptly. Yet the hospitals concerned signally fail to accept that they grievously erred.

The John Radcliffe Hospital claims that its staff are "aware of their duty to inform police when they think a crime has been committed".

Yet, in brazen contradiction of this principle, the hospital says that "we do not think that in this case our staff failed in their duty" apparently because their "priority" was the care of the patient, who was only with them briefly. Jon Tyler, of the NHS Trust responsible for Stoke Mandeville Hospital, is reported as saying that staff acted correctly.

It should be obvious, however, that the duty of care in no way precludes the duty to report crime. Hospitals, like all of us, have multiple duties. In France, the failure of the hospitals to take due action against crime would open them to criminal proceedings. Such a sanction should not be necessary; their moral duty should be clear enough. I make an open appeal to the authorities of the two hospitals to re-appraise their initial reaction. It is human to err, but it is the mark of a responsible attitude to admit error and ensure it does not recur.

Edmund Gray, Iffley