24.10.16
Sherwood and Nottingham partnership paused as chair and CEO step down
A merger intended to address inadequate services at Sherwood Forest Hospitals FT (SFH) has been put on hold after its partner trust’s chair and CEO stood down.
It was announced in February that SFH would enter into a strategic partnership with Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH)after two years in special measures and an ‘inadequate’ rating from the CQC.
Sherwood rejected an alternative offer from Derby Teaching Hospitals NHS FT because it wanted to improve services as rapidly as possible.
It was announced last week that Louise Scull and Peter Homa will step down from their roles as chair and chief executive at SFH to return full-time to their equivalent roles at NUH.
The partnership was initially due to be launched this autumn, but it is now apparent that it will not follow this timetable.
Scull and Homa said that because of the delay, they had to return to their posts to oversee NUH through the troubled winter period.
Mandie Sunderland, who is currently chief nurse at NUH and SFH, will also give up her role at SFH.
Homa said: “We agreed to take on these additional responsibilities for a short-term period. Now that the timings have moved beyond 2016, we believe it is in the best interests of patients and staff at NUH and SFH that the chair, chief nurse and chief executive can dedicate themselves to each trust, their patients and staff through this next period.
“We remain very much committed to providing Nottinghamshire patients with consistently high-quality care and both organisations are working together to review the best way of achieving this shared goal. Much progress has been made at SFH during 2016 to improve patient safety and care quality, supported by the closer working of both organisations.”
Dr Peter Marks took over as interim chair today (24 October). Peter Herring, SFH managing director, who served as interim chief executive prior to Homa’s appointment, will be appointed as chief executive subject to formal approval by the SFH board in early November.
Herring said: “Our partnership with NUH has supported us in delivering a number of improvements, particularly in terms of aligning our clinical services to result in more efficient and higher quality patient care. We remain very much committed to building on the extensive work already undertaken, and to continuing to develop and strengthen our joint working.
“I would like to put on record my thanks for Louise and Peter for the part they have played at SFH whilst serving as chair and chief executive, and look forward to continuing to work with them both as we develop the partnership between both organisations.”
Stephen Hay, deputy chief executive at NHS Improvement, said that patients using Kings Mill, Newark and Mansfield Community Hospitals will have seen real improvement in services since a new management team led by Peter Herring was brought in at Sherwood last year to address problems identified by an inspection undertaken by the Care Quality Commission in 2015.
“The appointment of Peter Homa and Louise Scull confirmed the aspiration to create a partnership between the trusts which remains our ambition,” he said. “Today’s decision will enable Peter and Louise to concentrate on improving waiting times in Accident and Emergency as well as financial performance in Nottingham. This is supported by NHS Improvement.
“The future of these two trusts lies in a formal strategic partnership. It is how we will make lasting improvement for patients. Nothing that has been announced today changes that.”
(Image c. thornypup via Flickr)
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