'Secretaries of State come and go' – Hospital leaders told to avoid Westminster distractions
Hospital leaders have been called on to ignore distractions in Westminster and continue to focus on healthcare needs of people in part of the Black Country.
Sir David Nicholson, chairman of the Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust, said health secretaries "come and go" but the needs of residents remain.
It comes after Prime Minister Liz Truss appointed Therese Coffey to the role – the fifth since 2018 and the third since last year when Matt Hancock resigned.
Sir Nicholson told a board meeting at the trust, which runs Sandwell General Hospital and Birmingham's City Hospital, called on colleagues to maintain focus.
He said: "We've got a new Government – well an old Government in the sense it's a Conservative Government – but now it's the fourth Prime Minister in six years and I haven't counted the numbers of Secretaries of State for Health (and Social Care) we've had, but we've got a new one.
"There's going to be anew set of narratives, initiatives, and a whole new set of conversations about what the healthcare system is supposed to be. It's our job to keep grounded and focusing on improving services for patients and improving support and help for our staff.
"There will be lots of stuff out there around it, but we need to focus on what's really important. Secretaries of State do come and go, but the needs of our population stay and we really need to focus on that."
The chairman said this year, in particular, would be "critical" for the health needs of the population and for the organisation, adding: "It's really important we focus, as a board and organisation, on (our) issues and do not get distracted by carryings-on in the political environment."
Health Secretary Therese Coffey follows in the footsteps of Steve Barclay, who only had the position between July and September this year, Bromsgrove MP Sajid Javid, Matt Hancock and Jeremy Hunt.
Ms Coffey has also been appointed as Deputy Prime Minister.
