Time for trust for safeguard the 3 hospital sites - Farron
South Lakes MP Tim Farron today commented on the news that John Cowdall, the Chair of the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust is stepping down.
In a letter to Lead Governor John Sellar, Mr. Cowdall said he was stepping down as Chair of the Trust. He said that as the trust heads further into the Better Care Together process he felt that it was '…appropriate for a new chair to be appointed to lead the Board through that period'.
He goes on to say: "the Care Quality Commission (CQC) report is in the process of being finalised and we expect that it will be published in the second half of this month. We have had sight of the draft in order to check it factual accuracy but it is currently embargoed until the Quality Summit meeting which the CQC and Monitor will convene during the second half of June. I am deeply disappointed at some of the content of the report and also disappointed as much for what it does not say."
This news comes on top of the announcement by Jackie Daniel last Friday that George Nasmyth was to step down as the Trust's Medical Director.
Tim has repeatedly called on the Trust to keep working on staffing levels to make sure our wards are safe.
Commenting on the news South Lakes MP Tim Farron said: "I want to thank John for his hard work, service and commitment to the trust over the last 17 months. I know how hard he has tried to turn this organisation around. I have seen some turnaround in the trust led by him, Jackie Daniel and her team.
"But I am worried about the CQC report as I've heard that it does not show or acknowledge the progress that the trust has made. I would like to know the reasons for that and what areas the trust are assessed as failing on. This report must be made public as soon as possible.
"But the most important lesson from all this must be that we keep a major medical hub at Westmorland General. We must extend services there and not remove them or close the hospital as has been rumoured. I hope the new chair, whoever they may be will join me in this fight."