Crisis trust to be mentored on path to recovery

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt announced yesterday that 11 NHS trusts that were placed in special measures in the wake of the scandal over standards at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust and a subsequent review by NHS medical director Sir Bruce Keogh will be partnered with the best NHS trusts and managers in a scheme he said would lead to “real change”.

But Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs hospitals in Goole, Grimsby, and Scunthorpe, is one of only two out of the 11 which have yet to be assigned a mentor.

Its chief executive, Karen Jackson, nonetheless welcomed the announcement.

“We’re pleased to hear we will be receiving support with implementing the remainder of our Keogh action plan from another NHS organisation,” she said.

“Our actions are on target and we are quickly working our way through the Keogh review’s recommendations, with each one helping to improve our overall quality of patient care.”

The trust was put into special measures following publication of the Keogh Review into 14 NHS trusts with higher than expected mortality rates. It had been flagged as an “outlier” after recording higher than expected death rates in each of the last two years.

Mrs Jackson added: “Our staff are completely committed to our new vision and values of ‘together we care, we respect, we deliver’ and we look forward to partnering with another trust to help us complete our improvement journey. We expect to learn which trust this will be within the next few weeks.”

The mentor hospitals will be paid for the work and have access to a special incentive fund.

The Health Secretary said the plans signalled a change from the past when management consultants would be paid to write reports on failing hospitals.

“In place of the old approach of paying management consultants to analyse the problems, we are giving contracts to the best in the NHS to implement solutions they have tried and tested.

“With the help of inspiring NHS leaders and their teams from our leading hospitals, I am confident that we can get these hospitals out of special measures and on the road to recovery.”

However, Shadow Health Minister Andrew Gwynne said the plan “contains little for the struggling NHS front line”.

“Reports revealed that these hospitals have deteriorated and lost staff under David Cameron –Ministers shouldn’t try to pass the buck,” he said.

“The hospitals need enough staff on the ground to provide staff care.

“When almost half of all hospital wards are failing to meet safe staffing levels, the Government must show how it will boost numbers.

“This is further proof you can’t trust the Tories with the NHS.”

Mrs Jackson has faced calls to resign after accepting a £25,000 pay rise to a salary of £170,000 in April last year, which critics branded “a reward for failure”.

The embattled trust came under further pressure last night when a motion calling for Mrs Jackson and trust chairman Dr Jim Whittingham to resign “with immediate effect” was passed by Labour-led North East Lincolnshire Council.

It also called for an immediate review of the membership of the trust board.