Burstow: Concerns for staff morale as 2nd senior manager departs St Helier

2.53.07pm UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 15th Jan 2007

Paul Burstow, MP for Sutton and Cheam, has described the resignation of Epsom and St Helier Trust Chairman, Michael Doherty, as a wake up call to the public and a further blow to staff morale. The news comes less than two weeks after the departure of Trust Chief Executive Lorraine Clifton.

Mr Burstow had already asked the Trust to put into the public domain information about Ms Clifton's departure under the Freedom of Information Act, after what appeared to be a hastily arranged exit. He now plans to demand the same disclosure about the reasons for Mr Doherty's resignation.

Commenting on the news, Paul Burstow MP said:

"To lose one NHS boss may seemm a misfortune, to lose another NHS boss so soon looks more like a crisis.

"Staff morale at St Helier must be in free fall."

"Frontline staff - already concerned for their future after the Trust announced that 470 jobs would go - now see the Trust's senior managers departing on an almost weekly basis."

"Staff cannot be blamed for wondering just what sort of ship they are working on."