03.09.14
Christine Outram named new chairman of The Christie
The Christie has appointed a new permanent chairman, Christine Outram, who will seek to resolve the hospital’s leadership crisis.
Two more board members have stepped down, saying they hope the new board can “restore the reputation” of the specialist cancer trust.
Outram has 20 years of experience as an executive in the NHS, including time as chief executive of NHS Leeds, and is currently the director of intelligence and strategy at NHS England. She takes over from Sir Hugh Taylor, who was appointed the hospital’s interim chairman in March.
The appointment comes as two longstanding board members have announced they will be standing down. Barrie Bernstein and Pat Loftus have decided to leave the trust, saying they were unhappy with the way it handled the suspension of chief executive Caroline Shaw.
Shaw was ‘sent home’ last November after being accused of claiming £2,600 in NHS expenses to cover a networking conference trip in Ibiza. She was formally suspended on 19 December “as part of a disciplinary process”. Since being sent home she has been paid more than £130,000, reports say.
This led to the resignation of the trust’s then chairman, Lord Keith Bradley, in February after four non-executive members of the board voted against him in a no confidence vote over his handling of the suspension of Shaw.
Barrie Bernstein said about his resignation: “I have agreed to step down from the Board of The Christie with immediate effect. I have been associated with the hospital since 1950 and I will continue to support it in any way I can.
“I believe the new board will now have an opportunity to restore the reputation of one of the finest cancer hospitals in the world.”
Regarding the new appointment, a spokesman for The Christie said: “We are pleased to announce that Christine Outram has been appointed as the new Chair of The Christie, effective from 1 October 2014.
“Christine has had a long career in the NHS, with over 20 years at leadership level. She has held a number of top level posts including chief executive of North London SHA, chief executive of NHS Leeds and senior roles at NHS England and at the Department of Health, including national work to improve the education and training of professional staff in the health service.
“We are delighted to welcome someone of Christine’s calibre to The Christie.”
Commenting on her new job, Outram said: “I am delighted to be appointed as chair of The Christie. It will be an honour and a privilege to help lead this hugely impressive and important organisation to achieve its ambitions for the future.
“I am a strong advocate of the crucially important role of specialist hospitals, which bring world class care and innovation to those who use the service, and drive up excellence in research and education.”
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