THE chief executive of two Merseyside hospitals stepped down after months of criticism from staff and unions.
Len Richards, head of Wirral Hospitals Trust – which runs Arrowe Park and Clatterbridge hospitals – announced he will leave his post on August 22.
He has already secured another job leading the North West’s NHS efficiency drive.
It followed a vote of no confidence by doctors in his leadership earlier this month.
A string of controversial decisions – including the proposed merging of vascular surgery with the Countess of Chester – have angered staff.
But the trust’s chairman, Michael Carr, paid tribute to Mr Richards’ contribution and claimed his departure was due to the job offer. Colm Byrne, regional officer for the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), said: “We have raised concerns for many months about cuts in nursing staff, a lack of consultation with clinicians such as nurses and doctors, the closure of wards at Clatterbridge and reductions of beds and staff at Arrowe Park.
“Most recently we have raised worries about the potential loss of vascular services to Chester and the low morale of nursing staff, who are constantly being put under more pressure as the cuts impact on front-line services.
“Our members certainly feel there has been an unwillingness to listen to clinical concerns and we hope any new chief executive will be prepared to listen carefully, work in partnership with us and act on the concerns raised by our members.” Mr Carr said: “Over the past five years, Len has led this organisation through some challenging times.
“Nevertheless this trust is recognised externally as an extremely successful and innovative organisation and is highly regarded.
“While it is with regret that we will be losing such an excellent chief executive, it is only fitting the NHS continues to benefit from not only his leadership, but also his unequivocal commitment to improving the care delivered by the NHS.
“The departure of the chief executive is always a challenging time for any trust and, as such, I am sure everyone will see it is important we work together as an organisation to continue to provide and develop our services over the coming months.”
Current deputy chief executive Gary Doherty will become acting chief executive.
Wirral West MP Esther McVey added: “Len Richards has brought a different dimension to services and has led the trust through an ever-evolving change programme.
“However I think that in view of recent events it is right that he should leave the organisation at this time and hand over the reins to someone else.”
