STAFFORD Hospital’s chief executive said the decision by independent regulator Monitor to step in and solve the cash crisis felt like ‘a slap in the face’.
Speaking at a meeting of the Stafford Hospital Working Group, which aims to work with Monitor in its attempts to stabilise the hospital’s finances, Lyn Hill-Tout said she had struggled to understand the news that the regulator was stepping in now after having worked with the hospital trust since March 2009 to improve its financial performance and governance procedures.
“The trust is in distress, but it is not failing,” she said. “Financial failure is not imminent.
“What is it monitor have been doing up until now?” she said. “We have asked that question ourselves.
“So it feels like a bit of a slap in the face to be honest with you.”
However, Ms Hill-Tout said it was clear the decision Monitor made to take control of the situation was the right thing to do.
“It pains me to say that,” she said. “But we have had a couple of goes as a trust a trying to fix things and we haven’t been able to and we can’t afford to try any more.”
A Contingency Planning Team has been appointed by Monitor to draw up a plan to protect services for patients in the community will deliver a final report and recommendation to the regulator by March 31, 2013.
