Struggling NHS trust under fire for £5,000 US trip

Chief executive of Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust Phil Morley and two other managers spent a week in Florida and Washington.

The move has been criticised by unions at a time when the trust has to make £95m budget savings over five years.

Mr Morley, chief of workforce and organisational development Jayne Adamson and chief operating officer Amanda Pye, spent a day and a half in Washington in meetings with The Advisory Board Company, which has been running a leadership development programme for around 80 managers at the hospital.

The trio then flew to the Sunshine State to the £200-a-night Delray Beach Marriott Hotel where Mr Morley had been invited to speak at the Denison Best Practices Forum 2012. “Cocktails and introductions” by the pool kicked off the event, which included talks on “culture change” and “leadership transition” as well as “dinner and networking” aboard the Lady Atlantic, described as “South Florida’s Premier Charter Yacht”.

The trust said the trip had been part paid for by Denison, while the taxpayer picked up the tab for the flights and accomodation.

Ruth Marsden, vice-chair of the National Association Of Local Involvement Network Members, which promotes patient and public involvement in health and social care, questioned the role model the US provided, when it was an insurance-led provider.

She said: “I think it is a clumsy decision at a time when the financial constraints are so strong and all the arguments locally and nationally are about saving money. The trust talks about leadership, staff engagement and patient satisfaction, but there’s a marked disconnect between that kind of leadership style and the realities on the ground.

“The business case that staff have to put up when they want monies within the system is exhaustive. What added value or value assessment has been undertaken for this initiative?

“Their recent strategic direction, vison and values document has a mission statement section which says: ‘We will be humble when we make mistakes.’ I think Mr Morley has made one and he needs to demonstrate the mission statement to which he subscribes.”

Last year it emerged that Hull Royal Infirmary was planning to close 300 beds over five to 10 years, an announcement which caused unions serious concern, as they amount to 20 per cent of capacity. Regional officer for Unison Ray Gray said the trip could not be justified at a time when staff were being told every penny counted and the service was coming under huge pressure. “There must be other ways of getting the same information,” he added. “It doesn’t set a good example.”

Mr Morley defended the trip as part of moves to “make the trust a world class organisation”, saying: “If you want a world-class service you have to involve world-class people.”

In a statement the trust added: “The Trust’s Chief Executive, Chief of Workforce and Organisational Development and Chief Operating Officer have been in the United States speaking at international conferences on culture and leadership. They were there for one week during which time they met with representatives from other large organisations in Florida and Washington to learn from their experiences and improve the care we provide to patients in our region.

“The trip has been paid for in part by Denison, the American-based company, which organised the conference, as well as the Trust.”

The trust said the cost of flights, including internal flights, and accommodation was around £5,500. The three flew over two weekends to keep the costs of the flights to a minimum and paid for all of their other costs, including lunches and dinners, themselves.