John welcomes hospital improvements
THE way Rotherham hospital is run has improved, according to health regulator Monitor.
Monitor said strengthening the senior leadership and improving how the Board and its committees function has helped ensure the trust can provide quality care for its patients by making sure potential problems are identified and fixed.
The regulator has agreed that The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust has made the improvements necessary to address licence breaches relating to governance at Board level.
John Healey, one of Rotherham’s MPs and former shadow health secretary, said:
“This is a welcome confirmation of the progress our hospital is making and a vote of confidence in the new leadership.
“I have fought from the start to avoid our Rotherham hospital being forced to merge and this is an important step in getting the government’s regulator off the hospital’s back so we can continue to run our NHS in Rotherham in the best interests of Rotherham patients.
Monitor said the trust remains in breach and continues to be subject to enforcement action in relation to its strategic and financial planning.
The regulator stepped in in 2013 after problems were identified in financial planning, the effectiveness of its Board of Directors and patient record keeping.
• John helped launch the ‘Save our Services’ campaign in September 2013