03.07.13
MPs call for Tameside boss to quit
Tameside Hospital’s chief executive is facing calls to quit following care scandals revealed by internal NHS reviews.
Three local MPs, Jonathan Reynolds, Andrew Gwynne and David Heyes, have issued a joint statement urging Christine Green to resign.
The MPs said: “Although the majority of care delivered by the hospital's frontline staff is praised by patients, we have had serious concerns about aspects of care and governance at the hospital for some time now, which the hospital trust are well aware of. We have always stood by our previous statement that new leadership is required.
“There needs to be significant and sustained improvement across several different areas of care and management. We are confident this can be done, and in doing so local confidence in the hospital's ability to meet the needs of our community can be restored.”
Reviews by the CQC, seen by the Guardian, highlighted concerns about major problems in care.
A CQC spokesperson told the Guardian: “The deanery's concerns were raised at a meeting with NHS England and CQC inspectors and this triggered an immediate inspection of TGH's [Tameside general hospital's] accident and emergency services. Inspectors found that the hospital was not meeting standards, findings that were shared with the Keogh review team.”
A spokesperson for Monitor added: “Tameside NHS foundation trust has been under close scrutiny within Monitor's regulatory regime for more than two years, and is currently in breach of its licence on financial and governance grounds.
“We have used our powers to secure legal undertakings that the trust will deliver cost savings to eradicate its deficit, and require the trust to develop an adequate long-term strategic plan.”
Health secretary Jeremy Hunt said: “Substandard is completely unacceptable. Patients should not face excessive waits for treatment and junior doctors must have the support they need from consultants to provide patients with that treatment.
“Professor Sir Bruce Keogh will be publishing his report on Tameside hospital shortly. This will ensure that they have the support that they need to improve care for their patients.”
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