The beleaguered boss of a crisis-hit hospital has vowed she will not quit.
Christine Green, chief executive of Tameside General Hospital, arrived home from a Caribbean holiday yesterday amid growing calls to resign from four local MPs, a community group and a Facebook campaign.
The M.E.N. has joined the Tameside Hospital Action Group (THAG) in
calling for an independent investigation after the hospital scored 4.8 out of 100 for patient safety in a recent report.
Mrs Green, who has been chief executive of the hospital for 10 years, also said: “I’m not a defeatist.”
Asked if she had considered quitting her £140,000-a-year job Mrs Green said: “It is not something that has entered my head. I believe I want to carry on doing the right things for this hospital, this latest publicity has shown up an agenda we need to address on some patient care issues.”
She said she was concerned by reports that some
elderly people were frightened of getting ill in case they were taken to Tameside Hospital.
Mrs Green added: “Lots of people have logged their
concerns on Facebook; I’m truly concerned by those issues and obviously want to work with colleagues to explore those things.
“I do not want to diminish those concerns, people have lost their loved ones, sometimes prematurely and they are obviously very distressed by that, we have made a lot of improvements.
“I think they are a tiny minority, the majority of patients who come here have a perfectly satisfactory experience. This is a very effective hospital, with a good strong team of staff.
“I would have no qualms in recommending this hospital to my friends and family, I have used it myself.”
Hospital crisis timeline
Regarding the MPs calls for her to go Mrs Green said: “I do not believe the world is as the MPs describe. I have a long list of the improvements and achievements that the hospital has made.
“My plea to the MPs is to get them to continue to support us and to work with us. I’m committed to change these opinions, I have committed my entire career to the NHS, and I believe I have a good contribution still to make.”
Hospital bosses say they have made huge improvements in the last few years including:
*A reduction in pressure sores – 3.9 per cent of patients suffering from them in 2008/9 compared to 5.26 in 2007/8.
*Better than average in the essence of care audit – a way of measuring the quality of care and patient experience.
* Reduced infection rates rapidly - by 39 per cent in 2008/9 and by 24 per cent so far in 2009/10.
* Major improvements in stroke care.
On her decision to take a holiday during the current crisis at the hospital Mrs Green said: “I think there is probably never a good time for a chief executive to take annual leave, I believe I have a very strong and experienced team of colleagues that I work with, who I can rely on.”
Tameside General’s record of shame includes:
- Having its care described as ‘absolutely ‘despicable’ and ‘chaotic’ by a coroner after he heard inquests into the deaths of four elderly people in one day
- Mortuary staff releasing the wrong body so one family cremated a stranger and another family was left unable to bury their dead great-grandmother
- Patients’ groups being inundated with complaints about failings in basic care on wards
- Government watchdogs slamming hygiene standards.
The MPs are supporting the M.E.N's call for a full, open investigation of Tameside Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust by the Care Quality Commission. Because the hospital is run by an independent foundation trust, only the Commission or the Trust's board can make management changes.
Showing comments 1 to 25 and replies | View All
Esso Blue. Carlitos is officially a GOD , Blues Town (09/02/2010 at 09:11)
d1v1s1onby0, Wigan (09/02/2010 at 09:33)
Yet she still thinks she is making improvements.
Sorry 10 years in means you have no-one to point the finger at, and people are wise to the kind of management drivel you are spouting here.
Time to GO!
J.Hall, Tameside (09/02/2010 at 09:43)
the top financial deal can be gained to go.
Going without a massive amount paid is "the forthcoming deal".
Surely unfit for purpose "your fired" is the appropiate method in this instance.
d1v1s1onby0, Wigan (09/02/2010 at 10:09)
Well thats good then - let them do your job full time and the £140k saved can be spent on nurses - dont know what they get paid but I'm guessing about 4 nurses - who would contribute far more to patient care than you do love.
B V Flute, Newton Moor (09/02/2010 at 10:22)
She is the major player in dragging Tameside Hospital down to the state its now in.
Splat!, Utopia (09/02/2010 at 10:46)
Ms B, Manchester (09/02/2010 at 10:52)
Andanotherthing, Mcr (09/02/2010 at 10:59)
Jay B, oldham (09/02/2010 at 11:34)
all on high wages and all cannot do their jobs properly.
if i was any of these i would either prove otherwise by doing the job for nothing till its done right or quit!
hjk (09/02/2010 at 12:01)
Savage Mandarin, Manchester (09/02/2010 at 12:02)
Ace Riley, outsidethebox (09/02/2010 at 12:19)
Blue Mart, Glossop (09/02/2010 at 14:15)
d1v1s1onby0, Wigan (09/02/2010 at 14:21)
(*) figures calculated on previous performce. Customers are reminded that performance may go down as well as up.
Laura Norder, Didsbury (09/02/2010 at 14:37)
Tameside John (09/02/2010 at 16:28)
It is public money she is spending and as such is responsible to all of us. Allowing the hospital and its hard working staff to gain its current reputation just shows what management are.
Wonder if she was in need of medical treatment she would opt to have it at Tameside on the NHS ? somehow dont think she would probable paid for by us at some private hospital at a cost.
Come on dear resign and dont make things worst for yourself you dont have the confidence of the people who pay your salary. Go Now.
Mr Mancunian, Sydney Australia (09/02/2010 at 18:26)
My experience at Tameside hospital was a joke. A doctor who I could barely understand because of his strong foreign accent, unable to diagnose my complaint & telling me to make another appointment for a year later. I couldn't get out of there fast enough.
That was in 1991 & it appears nothing has changed. I suppose that I was lucky. Poor souls have died because of the poor care & negligence at this benighted establishment.
Anonymous, Tameside (09/02/2010 at 19:15)
Tameside John (09/02/2010 at 19:48)
I used to work at Tameside General Hospital, and I think it was a great place to work at bar a few individuals, but I cannot say a bad word about Christine Green or the other board members, she (and they) has done her (and there) hardest in such a bad situation. If people actually looked at the situation rather than spending 5 minutes there and then complaining, you would see that they are struggling with staff, but they work hard with no thanks. Yes it is sad that people have sadly passed on whilst at the hospital, but they do at other hospitals as well, and when that happens we don't see an internet campaign saying sack the board. After seeing there recent c.diff and MRSA results and what they have done to combat this then they should be applauded. Everyone has the right to an opinion, but Facebook campaigns are not the way.
d1v1s1onby0, Wigan (09/02/2010 at 22:12)
But other hospitals havent scored 4.8%
"Everyone has the right to an opinion, but Facebook campaigns are not the way."
Would you care to explain why? it seems to be becoming the accepted way to quickly motivate large numbers of people and a realistic impression of public opinion.
ednaplate, Salford (10/02/2010 at 10:09)
Ace Riley, outsidethebox (10/02/2010 at 12:26)
Sam David McGovern (10/02/2010 at 21:52)
Also I would like to point out, that if visitorsa actually pay attention to the signs on the wards, then I reckon that there would be fewer superbugs around. They clearly state no flowers on the wards, yet visitors still insist on bringing them. Also before you go on to any ward in the hospital and any bed/bay for that matter of fact, the hospital provide a hand sanitiser for you to apply to help kill the germs on your hand, The amount of visitors I have seen come onto the ward and walk past this and not even care shocks me, even when we challange the visitors the level of abuse we got was astounding...
So basically my opinion is that vistitors can help the situation, and also that everyone has the right to their opinion and to excerise it, i am not condemming that, but I want everyone to think that if they were Christine Green's position, and they knew they were doing everything they could to keep there hospital afloat and all you got were complaints then you would not be happy....
Annoymous - Tameside
Angela Davies (12/02/2010 at 15:26)
The solution is very easy....
The hospital needs cleaning and the patients need nursing.
People who run a cloth round the middle of a table, without doing the edges and sides - do NOT know how to clean!
People who brush the middle of a floor, without doing the edges, skirting boards, sills etc etc - do NOT know how to clean!
THEREFORE: They either needs instruction (fast) or you need to get someone else.
Patients need to be nursed.
If a patient does not want to eat they should be coaxed by giving them small portions of light food NOT given a choice of unfitting food and given three seconds to decide whether or not they want to eat it !!
Patients should be checked to see if they are ok - not left to their own devices - they shoud be HELPED in all aspects of their day and NURSED back to health.
DON'T BLAME THE VISITORS !!!!
If you want visitors to clean their hands before they come in and they don't..... then....
DON'T LET THEM IN.
Where are the people who are supposed to be "MANAGING" this hospital ???
The patients need NURSING back to health in a calm atmosphere NOT in the earshot of
staff listening to music and chatting about their private lives and WORSE ..... having a
meeting about the financial situation of the ward !!!!
JUST GET ON WITH THE SOLUTION AND STOP GRIPING ABOUT ENQUIRIES
THIS IS JUST WASTING THE PATIENTS' TIME - and some have little of that
left so it is precious.
STOP BLAMING EVERY TOM, DICK OR HARRY AND START DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT !!
HELP THE PATIENTS ............. BRING BACK THE MATRONS
please
Joan Belgium (14/02/2010 at 13:07)
Gettting rid of one will not make things better it will just let the ones really culprits get away