Shropshire hospitals chief’s new role branded ‘reward for failure’
The former boss of Shropshire’s major hospitals has received no payments other than part of his contract since resigning, a trust has said.
Simon Wright, former chief executive of the Shrewsbury & Telford Hospital NHS Trust, is now working for a major hospital group advising the health service on safety and leadership.
The news has provoked criticism, as the trust is at the centre of what has been called the largest maternity scandal in NHS history and was also put into special measures when Mr Wright was in charge.
Mr Wright stepped down as chief executive of SaTH in June last year – seven months after a highly critical report from the Care Quality Commission.
SaTH, which runs Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Princess Royal Hospital in Telford, says Mr Wright has received no payments other than part of his contract since resigning. The trust would not comment on the issue any further.
He is now contracted by the Virginia Mason Institute, in a role listed as a ‘transformation consultant’, according to his own LinkedIn profile.
The Virginia Mason Institute has been working with SaTH for the past five years in a partnership to provide better care for patients and to improve safety.
Outrage
The institute provides coaching and training to SaTH, as well as four other NHS trusts which required improvement.
Among those critical about the move is Telford MP Lucy Allan.
Reacting on Twitter, she said: “Shocking. I made a formal complaint about this former SaTH CEO prior to his departure and repeatedly raised the shortcomings in Parliament. Reward for failing patients in NHS is extraordinary.
“A revolving door for highly paid bureaucrats, no matter what.”
She added: “Just over a year later, the same CEO is back ‘to improve performance’ at the same trust that was failing desperately under his leadership. Did he just take a taxpayer funded sabbatical?”
The news has also sparked outrage from others including Shaun Davies, leader of Telford & Wrekin Council, and Rhiannon Davies, whose campaigning led to former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt ordering the Ockenden maternity inquiry in 2017.
The Virginia Mason Institute was unavailable for comment.
