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Criticised exec to run St Helier maternity review
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| Criticised: Ruth Harrison |
A former NHS executive who was heavily criticised for her running of a hospital where 33 people died from an outbreak of C diff is overseeing a review of maternity and paediatric services at Epsom and St Helier Hospital.
Ruth Harrison, who has a track record of reorganising or closing hospital services, is working for an agency hired by Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust.
She will be in charge of a review which could lead to the closure of in-patient paediatric services and the end of a full maternity department at Epsom.
She resigned from her £130,000 a year chief executive's job and received a £140,000 payoff when she left the Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust in 2006.
She left as a damning report was published into the 33 deaths from C diff, a highly infectious and dangerous stomach bug, at Stoke Mandeville Hospital. She said at the time that she had left the trust to take up an MSc at London University.
The Healthcare Commission which carried out the investigation into the outbreak between October 2003 and June 2005, said the trust "compromised the safety of patients by failing to make the right decisions" and that it "rejected the proper advice of their own experts".
It also said: "The Healthcare Commission considers there were significant failings on the part of the leadership at the trust and has recommended that the leadership change."
During her time with the Buckinghamshire trust there were unsuccessful campaigns against major changes in health services, including the withdrawal of emergency surgery at Wycombe Hospital and a full maternity service, which will close at the end of the year.
| “Cuts and closures follow her wherever she goes. In some quarters she is considered the angel of death as far as the NHS is concerned.” | | Paul Goodman MP |
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Before she joined Buckinghamshire she was chief executive at Worcestershire Acute Trust where she saw the downgrading of Kidderminster Hospital. Public outrage at the plans led to an independent MP, Dr Richard Taylor, who fought the election on the platform of opposition to the withdrawal of health services, being elected to Parliament.
Wycombe MP Paul Goodman said: "Cuts and closures follow her wherever she goes. In some quarters she is considered the angel of death as far as the NHS is concerned."
Chris Grayling, Epsom's MP and a hospital campaigner, said: "At the very least this is a highly insensitive appointment. Bringing in someone who has already been involved in the highly controversial closure of a maternity department to look at women's and children's services is bound to make people feel suspicious about the trust's motives."
Geoff Martin, head of campaigns for Health Emergency, said: "This is deeply worrying and it will certainly set the alarm bells ringing over the future of services at Epsom. This latest news shows exactly which road they will be heading down. We must warm up the Save the Hospital campaign."
A spokesman for the Epsom and St Helier trust said: "After a tendering process specialist health management consultancy Durrow was hired to manage a review of women's and children's services at Epsom and St Helier hospitals. The lead consultant from Durrow, who will act as programme director, is Ruth Harrison, who has considerable and relevant senior experience in the NHS."
The trust is refusing to reveal how much it is paying Durrow for Ruth Harrison's services.
1:06pm Friday 29th February 2008
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CommentPosted by: scott, sutton on 10:45am Sun 2 Mar 08
Now theres an advert for home births if ever i saw one lol
Now theres an advert for home births if ever i saw one lol
Posted by: Charles Kennedy, Cheam on 11:39am Mon 3 Mar 08
And of course no reaction from Paul Burstow, MP for Sutton and shadow health secretary, which would presumably leave him in the perfect position to be able to do something about this, but then I guess he'd have to be a vertebrate first.
And of course no reaction from Paul Burstow, MP for Sutton and shadow health secretary, which would presumably leave him in the perfect position to be able to do something about this, but then I guess he'd have to be a vertebrate first.
Posted by: fred, sutton on 11:02am Tue 4 Mar 08
according to the press association she is paid £52,000 for consultancy fees. that's a lot of money for a few days office for a cash-strapped nhs trust.
according to the press association she is paid £52,000 for consultancy fees. that's a lot of money for a few days office for a cash-strapped nhs trust.
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