Chair quits to take up new role

THE chair of Southport & Ormskirk NHS Hospitals Trust is leaving her job. Sue Musson announced on Tuesday that she is quitting her post to take up a new role as chair of Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in January 2017. The news came on the same day as the trust dismissed its chief executive Jonathan Parry for gross misconduct.

The departure of the two most senior people at Southport and Ormskirk hospitals comes at a critical time for their future.

The trust is among 30 in Merseyside and Cheshire under review by Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC).

It is estimated that NHS trusts in Merseyside and Cheshire will be working with a budget deficit of nearly £1bn by 2021, and the review is looking into the possibility of merging some hospitals and saving money on services.

Mrs Musson confirmed that she would not be extending her contract for a second term with the trust, and will instead be taking up a new post as chair of Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in January 2017.

Her final day with the trust will be November 30.

She said: “It was a very difficult decision choosing not to continue in the role. I do believe, though, it is the right decision.

“The end of my current term of office coincides with the completion of the disciplinary investigations.

“Therefore, this feels like an appropriate juncture for me to move on and for a new chair to have a clear path to lead the trust into the future.”

She added: “I leave in the knowledge that the trust is in the skilled, knowledgeable and capable hands of my board colleagues.

“I know they will support the incoming chair and all the trust staff to continue to deliver the best possible healthcare to the people of Sefton and West Lancashire.”