Hospital trust axes top jobs to save cash

Mid Yorkshire Hospitals Trust, which is around £20m in deficit, has made changes to its leadership team as it seeks to boost performance and meet financial targets.

Graham Briggs, director of people and development, Ruth Unwin, director of communications and engagement, Carole Langrick, chief operating officer and Ian Ward, director of organisational development, will leave the trust, which runs Pontefract, Pinderfields and Dewsbury Hospitals, after their jobs ceased to exist under an annual review of board roles.

A report to last week’s meeting of the trust board said the review would deliver a recurrent saving of £750,000 at the organisation, which has faced a string of financial problems.

The shake-up will take effect after Mid Yorkshire came under fire for low staffing levels when it was forced to close an elderly ward at Pinderfields on April 4 because of poor standards of care.

In February, a survey also ranked Mid Yorkshire as worst in the country for whether staff would recommend it as a place to be treated.

Chief executive Stephen Eames said: “The year ahead will be another challenging one in which we will continue to improve performance but we must do more to take our staff with us.

“The recent staff survey results were a real wake-up call for us and they highlighted major areas for improvement across the trust.

“That’s one reason why we’ve established the new post of director of patient and staff engagement, who will champion the voice of staff and patients in the boardroom and take a lead on this vital work.”

Mr Eames said improvements had been made over past year. In March, Mid Yorkshire’s A&E units were ranked best in the country for treating patients within four hours, and the NHS Friends and Family Test found most patients would recommend the trust as a place to be treated.