Tameside General’s Chief Executive and Medical Director stepped down today following Greater Manchester MPs’ concerns about staffing and care quality problems.
Chief Executive Christine Green stepped down this afternoon after 15 years in the role following intense pressure from Greater Manchester MPs – Medical Director Tariq Mahmood also resigned from his post.
Tameside was investigated by the Care Quality Commission after the postgraduate dean for Greater Manchester passed on concerns that were raised privately by a group of junior doctors working in departments across Tameside General Hospital.
MPs Andrew Gwynne, Denton and Reddish, David Heyes, Ashton-under-Lyne, and Jonathan Reynolds, Stalybridge and Hyde said in a joint statement: “Although we are still awaiting formal confirmation from Tameside Hospital, we would welcome the departure of Chief Executive, Christine Green, and Medical Director, Tariq Mahmood from their positions at Tameside Hospital.
“We have all said on numerous occasions that Tameside Hospital needs a change of leadership, and we are glad that change finally appears to be under way.
“Although there are numerous concerns about problems at the hospital we know from both speaking to our constituents and from personal experience that there are is lot of good care delivered by the hospital’s staff too.
“However, the problems that do exist at Tameside have not been sufficiently addressed and we believe that the senior management have to answer for this.
“The hospital trust now needs to find a successor who is capable of implementing the change that our hospital needs.
“Whoever takes that responsibility will have their work cut out for them, and we look forward to developing a strong working relationship with them.
“Hopefully, this will be a turning point, and patients, staff and the wider public will now be able to rebuild their confidence in Tameside Hospital.”
In a letter to Sir Bruce Keogh, who is currently reviewing the standard of treatment at 14 hospitals including Tameside, the MPs stated: “Although we are pleased that Tameside General hospital has recently met all the necessary outcome measures for the CQC, we are deeply concerned as to why it has taken almost three years after the first inspection in March 2010 to meet these standards.
“We have serious concerns about the Trust’s ability to maintain these standards moving forward.
“We do accept that the chair has only been in post for less than two years and we have confidence that he would be able to help carry forward these changes and provide a level of continuity, however we have no confidence that the Chief Executive would be able to lead this change.”
The resignations come shortly before the findings of Sir Bruce Keogh’s report on the hospital, which is expected to be highly critical, were due to be released.
Picture courtesy of David Watson, with thanks.
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