Tameside Hospital given 'Red-Rating' for lack of Governance by Health Watchdog!

'The rot starts at the top' says Liz Degnen (pictured above),who is campaigning to sack Christine Green and the Board at Tameside Hospital.

A report issued this week by the health watchdog 'Monitor', has accused Tameside Hospital management of failings in its quality of care and control. The report has highlighted six areas of concern which include: breaches in the quality of care given, failings by the Board of Directors, financial problems and an inability to plan recovery and take appropriate action as issues have arisen.

The report says that despite the hospital forecasting a surplus of £0.9 million for 2010/11, Tameside Hospital is now facing a £1.5 million deficit. The report also adds that there has been an overspend on pay costs which are £3.2 million higher than originally planned. In particular, the Board of Tameside Hospital is criticised for failing to identify, challenge and scrutinise problems, which led recently to a vote of confidence ballot among senior doctors at the hospital. The report says that Monitor were not informed of this vote of no confidence ballot by hospital management, nor were they told by management, about the hospital`s financial deterioration. The report also points out that the hospital`s Director of Finance has also resigned. The report says that:

"The lack of challenge and scrutiny is a concern" and adds, "while the Board has taken action to improve procedures and processes around managing pay costs there is no clear evidence that these have been effective and sustainable. We remain concerned that the Trust Board may not, in the future, be in a position to identify new issues as they arise and act promptly."

The hospital has been given a 'red rating' for governance and two out of five, for its financial control. The Chief Executive of Monitor, David Bennett, told hospital management:

"I must emphasise that failure by the Trust to deliver timely and sustainable progress towards full compliance with its Authorisation would be likely to cause Monitor`s Board to consider again the Trust`s position and the potential use of its formal intervention powers...the Trust is in significant breach of its Authorisation and will be red-rated for governance risk with immediate effect."

The Chief Executive of Tameside Hospital, Christine Green, said that the Trust accepted Monitor`s ruling and fully understood its implications. She added:

"We are working closely with Monitor and are developing actions plans to return the Trust to financial stability."