Controversial NHS boss to retire after 20 years
THE woman who has led some of the biggest and most controversial changes to Glasgow’s health services has announced she is to retire.
Catriona Renfrew, Director of Planning for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, will leave in June after 20 years in one of Scotland’s most-high powered jobs.
Ms Renfrew said she was retiring to focus on “other interest and opportunities.”
The NHS boss was instrumental in drawing up plans to close the cherished Queen Mum’s maternity hospital, despite major public opposition.
She was also at the helm of a plan to split the Queen Mum’s f rom Yorkhill – which was thrown out by health minister Malcolm Chisholm in 2004 following a year-long campaign by the Evening Times.
Although the Queen Mum’s closed, the link between the children’s hospital and maternity services was retained with the opening of Glasgow’s new super-hospital.
Mr Renfrew, who joined the NHS in Bristol in 1985, also led the acute services review which recommended the city should have just two A&E services at Glasgow Royal Infirmary and the then Southern General.
More recently she has been at the forefront of proposals to close Lightburn Hospital in Glasgow, a children’s ward at the Royal Alexandra hospital in Paisley and the inpatient ward at the Centre for Integrative Care.
However, less controversially, she has also been responsible for setting ambitious targets to improve the city’s health including cutting waiting times for heart and cancer patients.
She said: “I feel genuinely privileged to have worked for our most important public service.
“Over the last 32 years I have been inspired by so many staff, and also by the patients we serve.
“I am proud to have played a part in supporting and reshaping the care the NHS delivers to better serve our patients and I will continue to focus on contributing to that over the next four months.”
“I am now looking forward to pursuing other interests and opportunities.”
Ms Renfrew was briefly seconded to head up Glasgow’s community health partnership in 2008 but was forced to step down from her post following a series of disputes with staff and councillors in the city.
Last year, Robert Calderwood announced he was leaving as Chief Executive of Scotland’s largest health board after eight years in the post.
Commenting on Ms Renfrew’s departure, he said: “There will be plenty of opportunities for us to acknowledge Catriona’s contribution to the NHS in Greater Glasgow and more widely but I would like to place on the record my thanks for Catriona’s work for this Board over the last 20 years and to recognise her extensive NHS career.”