THE trust which runs Grimsby's hospital has rejected calls for chief executive Karen Jackson to resign.
The Labour group in North East Lincolnshire, together with its counterparts in Scunthorpe and Goole, issued a joint statement urging Ms Jackson to go, and asking the trust's board members to also consider their positions.
Councillor Chris Shaw, the leader of the North East Lincolnshire Labour group, said the decision to award Ms Jackson a £25,000 pay rise, the fact that the trust had been placed into special measures, and recent announcements over changes to stroke services and car parking charges were signs of a "trust that doesn't know what it's doing".
However, Dr James Whittingham, chairman of the Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, insisted that Ms Jackson was the right person to turn around the failing trust, adding that progress had been made since her appointment in 2010.
He said that the pay rise was awarded in April 2012 – well before the Keogh Review highlighted failings within the trust – and brought her annual salary, at £170,000, in line with those of chief executives at other trusts in the country. Dr Whittingham also claimed that neither of the local Labour MPs supported the Labour groups's collective stance. He said: "The Board and I are not satisfied with the Trust's current performance, neither is the chief executive, but we can see the improvements and we are confident that we will continue to make progress, particularly as the mortality rates are steadily reducing.
"The Trust has a great team of several thousand doctors, nurses and other staff who are well led by an extremely able chief executive, supported by a strong executive management team. The chief executive and her team inherited an extremely challenging situation in 2010 and know there is still much work to do. But as was recognised by the Keogh team, they are the right people to deliver it."
However, Labour group leader Chris Shaw said: "We think Karen Jackson made a bad move by accepting a pay rise. It just shows bad management to even consider such a huge pay rise when the rest of her staff have got a one per cent increase. "Look at what have they proposed to do to get out of special measures. A rise in parking charges, cuts to services and a pay rise for the chief executive. All of it together smacks of a trust that doesn't know what it's doing." Margaret Cracknell, acting leader of the Conservative group, said: "In foundation trusts the responsibility of executive salaries is left to the trust's remuneration committee. "However, I think pay in the public sector is seen by many to be out of line with that in the private and voluntary sectors and I believe it is a matter that needs addressing nationally. "Whilst we understand the emotion and sentiments behind the Labour group's comments, what they are suggesting could be long drawn out and costly." Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat group leader Andrew De Freitas said: "It is a difficult one and I do think the Labour group should not get involved in the politics of it. They have got enough on their plates and they should be concentrating on listening to the local inhabitants who are very unhappy with various aspects of Labour policy locally." UKIP group leader Ron Shepherd said: "While we have sympathy with the Labour group, Karen Jackson was awarded the par rise in July 2012, which was prior to the trust being placed in special measures. £170,000 is an awful lot of money for someone who is failing. But she should be given the opportunity to prove herself and to turn the trust around."Follow us on Facebook and Twitter
