Worthing Hospital's new £1,000 a day temps shocker
CASH-STRAPPED Worthing Hospital has employed two more temporary executives at a rate of almost £1,000 a day, the Herald can reveal.
The non-clinical managers, recruited through specialist agencies, are in addition to deputy chief executive Sue Barnett, whose 883-a-day bill made front-page national news after being revealed on this website.
Click here to see the original story.
The revelation of two more expensive temporary appointments comes as the hospital denied any reduction of nursing levels on wards as it seeks to save money.
The two executives are Paul Richardson, interim director of strategy (950 a day) and Malcolm Newton, operational support for medical and surgical directorates (975 a day).
Nursing levels
The Herald posed a series of questions to Worthing and Southlands Hospitals Trust after clinical staff contacted the paper saying nursing levels were effectively being cut to save cash.
The trust, in merger talks with St Richard's Hospital, Chichester, said there was "no question" of nursing levels being cut.
Also the 1,000-a-day executives were employed because the trust did not have the necessary expertise in-house.
In a statement, the trust said: "A review of nursing cover has recently been undertaken to ensure that nursing staff are correctly placed on wards which are experiencing high levels of activity.
"During September and October, the trust will be employing additional nursing staff.
"Staffing levels are reviewed three times a day by clinical matrons to ensure any unexpected staff sickness are managed by calling in bank staff or redeploying staff from areas less busy to ensure patient safety is maintained."
Temporary executives
On the temporary executives, the trust said: "They are involved in very specific pieces of work which the trust does not have the available expertise to carry out in-house.
"The temporary nature of these projects means that it would not be appropriate to make permanent appointments."
The trust said Paul Richardson was responsible for promoting its successful bid to become the major general hospital in West Sussex, as well as planning service changes, including increasing capacity at Worthing Hospital and an application to become a foundation trust.
It said his costs were offset by the non-appointment of a permanent director of strategy.
The trust said Malcolm Newton's appointment "will allow two divisional directors to return to their clinical commitments in a bid to further cut waiting lists".
It was not expected he would be with the trust for longer than six months.
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Tuesday 29 May 2012
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