Grayson says hospital trust Chief Exec process 'shameful'

8.57.26am GMT Mon 22nd Mar 2010

Dr Richard Grayson, Lib Dem parliamentary candidate for Hemel Hempstead, has said that the failure to follow proper processes for appointing the Chief Executive of the West Herts Hospital Trust is 'shameful'. He says that is essential for Chief Executive to step aside so that the Trust can take a fresh look at the appointment.

Dr Grayson was commenting on the East of England Strategic Health Authority's independent review about the appointment of the current Chief Executive. The review states of the Chief Executive that: "Remuneration Committee minutes record his unwillingness to go through an appointment process believing that this would show that he did not have the confidence of the Trust Board". Keith Pearson, the Chair of the East of England SHA has commented on the report that "a formal appointment panel should have been convened" and also says, "more could have been done … to ensure that the appointment process fully met the standards expected at this level".

Dr Grayson said: "Local people already have very little confidence in the overall management of the Trust. Further undermining public confidence by not having a transparent appointment process, where we can be sure that the best person got the job, is shameful. As long as the current Chief Executive stays in post, the Trust will be tarnished. He needs to step aside so that the Trust can restart the appointment process."