Mike Penning welcomes appointment of stand-in Chief Exec, but repeats his call for all Board members of the failing Trust to resign.

Hemel MP, Mike Penning welcomed the appointment of a stand-in Chief Executive for West Herts Hospitals NHS Trust, but says his call for the rest of the management and Board to resign still stands.

He said:

“I welcome the news that ‘hospital turnaround specialist’ Jan Filochowski has been appointed as a stand-in Chief Executive for West Herts Hospitals NHS Trust. This is a positive move, but not the answer to the problems in itself.

“David Law was right to stand down and take responsibility for the continuing failures of the NHS Trust – especially after the Trust was deemed to have failed for the second year running. However, the senior management and other Board members were there too and need to share some of the responsibility. They are all implicit in this ongoing disaster. Until we have a completely new management team and Board, the Trust is doomed to continue to fail.

“Local people have no faith in the abilities of the remaining senior management and Board to improve the current situation let alone effectively carry out the so-called reconfiguration. It is a common perception that these Board members are determined to hang on to the gravy train as long as possible – and we, the residents and users of the local hospitals – can do nothing about it.

“The people of Hemel have been badly let down and I say again that the Board and senior management should resign.”