Hospitals chairman quits in targets dispute
Hospitals in Lincolnshire have been plunged into crisis after the resignation of their chairman over claims that he was being bullied into putting targets above patient care.
David Bowles has quit as hospital trust chairman, claiming pressure is being put on staff to put targets before emergency treatment.
In a letter to Lincolnshire MP Mark Simmonds, he says he has witnessed "a substitution of bullying for performance management and an obsession with targets rather than safety".
He says he was put under pressure by the Strategic Health Authority to guarantee that all non-urgent patients were seen within 18 weeks of a referral by a GP, in order to hit government targets.
He claims that an unprecedented number of emergency cases made such a guarantee impossible.
He describes demands on Lincolnshire hospitals as "out of control with the highest ever level of weekly emergency admissions this month."
He added: "I refuse to work in a system which seems ... to have lost sight of the critical issues of patient safety."
At least one other senior member of United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust is also understood to be considering their position over the SHA's conduct.
In a statement NHS East Midlands, the local strategic health authority, said it "has had concerns about overall standards and particularly the governance at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust" and had carried out a review of patient safety, experience and quality of care.
The review did not highlight any issues and two further reviews on the governance and financial arrangements are being carried out.
"The people of Lincolnshire must have access to the same high standards in all aspects of care as elsewhere in the country and the SHA must be assured that consistently high standards are achieved every single day," it added.
It is understood that Mr Bowles has also written to NHS chief executive David Nicholson asking for an inquiry.
For more on the targets row, see Monday's Echo.
10 Comments
by Mozart 21, South Lincolnshire
Monday, July 27 2009, 4:56PM
“I have met David a few times and believe him to be one of those who try to do the right thing for the population he is trying to serve : in this case patients. I saw him debate the imposition of a reduction in waiting times to 18 weeks and have no reason whatsoever to doubt his sincerity in this case. i recall another non-executive director (whom I also know) resigned last year over the inability of the hospitals to deliver what was right for the patients rather than what was demanded by others from afar. How many more?”
by reggie, Lincoln
Monday, July 27 2009, 4:39PM
“Mr Brooking's comments are even less enlightening than his political blog.
But he is probably a friend or acquaintance of a certain discredited Lincolnshire County Councillor.”
by Martin, Lincoln
Monday, July 27 2009, 4:28PM
“It's a good job that the Echo included the photo of the nurses looking at a clipboard. I wouldn't have known what on earth a hospital was without their imagery”
by Geoffrey G Brooking, Milton
Monday, July 27 2009, 4:20PM
“Bowles is nothing but trouble.
Glad to see the back of him.”
by Reggie, Lincoln
Monday, July 27 2009, 4:18PM
“Hopefully Mr Bowles is one of the few remaining men of principle who are trying to run our public services.
He was vindicated when all of the evidence came out about his term as Chief Exec of the County Council.
I expect that he will be vindicated if and when this affair is subject to public scrutiny.
It is a pity that people of principle invariably finish up being hounded out of their jobs by the bullying of the Government's "Yes men".”
by blah, Lincoln
Monday, July 27 2009, 12:49PM
“Blah blah blah lincolnshire county council blah blah blah nhs blah blah blah the government.......”
by Dan, Lincoln
Monday, July 27 2009, 11:40AM
“Is this the same David Bowles who received £400,000 from Lincolnshire County Council after he had to leave following the Jim Speechley fiasco?
I wonder what the pay-off will be from public funds this time?
Did he resign, or was he asked to leave by the Trust? That doesn't seem very clear at the moment.”
by John, Lincoln
Monday, July 27 2009, 9:18AM
“Thanks to David Bowles resignation, he has put the cat amongst the pigeons.
The pen pushers will try anything to keep the government sweet with meeting so called target figures.
They push both doctors and nurses to their limits which eventually leads to stress and other related medical problems.
They are not trained medical staff and are putting patient care at risk.
My wife resigned as a nurse as she could not speak out over the conditions occuring with patient care and staffing levels. And she had been in the nursing profession for years after qualifing as an SRN, midwife, and held an honours degree in nursing.
If fact, she was more qualified than the pen pushers who ran the hospital like an army barrack.
My daughter tried the nursing profession as a student but left due to the emphasis being on academic rather than practical nursing.
Times have changed for the worse and it is no wonder why nurses are left to carry the can on hospital wards due to staff shortages and not enough nurses.”
by John, Lincoln
Monday, July 27 2009, 9:14AM
“Thanks to David Bowles resignation, he has put the cat amongst the pigeons.
The pen pushers will try anything to keep the government sweet with meeting so called target figures.
They push both doctors and nurses to their limits which eventually leads to stress and other related medical problems.
They are not trained medical staff and are putting patient care at risk.
My wife resigned as a nurse as she could not speak out over the conditions occuring with patient care and staffing levels. And she had been in the nursing profession for years after qualifing as an SRN, midwife, and held an honours degree in nursing.
If fact, she was more qualified than the pen pushers who ran the hospital like an army barrack.
My daughter tried the nursing profession as a student but left due to the emphasis being on academic rather than practical nursing.
Times have changed for the worse and it is no wonder why nurses are left to carry the can on hospital wards due to staff shortages and not enough nurses.”
by NHS Worker, Lincoln
Monday, July 27 2009, 8:26AM
“All this after a change in targets to include patient care and payment held back if patients believe their treatment to have been done inadequately. This change lead by a clinical professional (Lord Darzi) is focused around Safety, Effictiveness of Care, and Personal treatment. While he is correct that there was a struggle to meet the 4 hour wait for decision to admit in A & E with a series of Emergency attendances coupled with additional capacity needed to meeting the 18 weeks target, after a month or so this was resolved and most trusts are back on target.
Is this a resignation in a noble effort to raise concerns or rhetoric to cover a different reason for leaving?”