Stafford Hospital directors board facing axe
The board of directors which runs Stafford Hospital is facing suspension under the most severe sanctions that could be imposed by health watchdog Monitor, it has emerged.
The news was revealed just hours after a team of independent experts ruled the trust that runs Stafford and Cannock Chase hospitals was not viable in the long-term. The future of Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust has been thrown into doubt by the announcement by Monitor.
Chief executive Lyn Hill-Tout told a packed public meeting last night control of the trust could pass to "the equivalent of a receiver" appointed when a firm fails.
Bringing in a special administrator to oversee a radical restructuring of services provided by the trust is one of two options. The other option is allowing the trust board to oversee the changes. More than 100 residents attended last night's meeting at the Kingston Centre in Fairway. Mrs
Hill-Tout told of her "great disappointment" at the experts' preliminary findings, but said she accepted their verdict. "When a private firm fails, it goes into receivership," she said.
"Monitor might decide the trust is fit to continue and look after restructuring itself, or it could decide the trust cannot sort itself out. If it is the latter, Monitor would appoint a trust special administrator, who would act like a receiver. The practical implications of this are the board would be suspended, and the governors would no longer be in place either."
Trust bosses feeling pressure over future - See today's Express & Star
