Dawson: New hospital chief spells danger
THE appointment of a new chair for Southport and Ormskirk hospitals has come in for criticism.
It was announced last week that Richard Fraser is being brought in as the new chair of Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust.
He succeeds Sue Musson who becomes chair of Lancashire Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in the New Year.
It comes at a critical time, with health trusts across the region facing huge cuts in services under the Merseyside and Cheshire Sustainability and Transformation Plan.
Mr Fraser also holds the post of chair of St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, which Sefton Council Lib Dem health spokesman Tony Dawson fears could be bad news for Southport.
Proposals suggested for Southport and Ormskirk under the STP review include reducing opening times at Southport Hospital’s A&E department, and transferring more seriously injured patients to Whiston Hospital, although that has yet been confirmed.
Tony Dawson said: “Southport needs its own NHS Trust chair if our hospital is to have a chance of surviving.
“There is a gross conflict of interest here.
“Southport and St Helens hospitals may well end up fighting for some of the same patients. And so Southport NHS Trust gets chaired by the St Helens chair.
“We’ve just spent six months being run by the St Helens chief executive!”
Richard Fraser will serve in post at Southport and Ormskirk from December 1, 2016, to November 30, 2018.
The appointment was made by NHS Improvement (NHSI), the national quality and financial regulator for the NHS.
Iain McInnes, interim chief executive in the wake of the dismissal of previous chief executive Jonathan Parry for gross misconduct, said: “Richard’s appointment means we have an experienced chair in place to further support the stable leadership of the Trust.
“NHSI will work with him to ensure he has support in place to conduct both roles successfully and independently of each other.”
Born in Glasgow, Fraser studied civil and mechanical engineering at university. His first senior job was site manager during the construction of the landmark oil storage tanks at Stanlow, near Ellesmere Port. He has more than 30 years’ experience as a Board director at a number of large companies.
Non-executive appointments to NHS trusts made are subject to the Code of Practice of the Commissioner for Public Appointments.
Fraser is entitled to receive a remuneration of £30,000 per annum. He has not declared any political activity in the past five years.