NHS trust boss resigns in protest over underfunding of health services

[Northerner]

The boss of one of the NHS’s biggest trusts has resigned in protest at what he claims is such serious government underfunding that hospitals cannot perform their key role properly.
Bob Kerslake, who was the head of the civil service until 2015, is quitting as the chairman of the board at King’s College hospital in London, after a long-running dispute with the NHS watchdog over its finances. Ministers are in denial about the reality of how much extra money the NHS requires, he says.

In an article for the Guardian, Lord Kerslake, a highly respected crossbench peer and former permanent secretary at the Department for Communities and Local Government, explains that he is stepping down because hospitals are being asked to agree to meet unrealistically demanding savings targets.

https://www.theguardian.com/society...kerslake-resigns-underfunding-health-services

 

[trophywench]

Yeah but No but - if the good people walk out they'll appoint more useless Yes Men, aaargghh.

 

[Amigo]

He’s clearly right about the massive underfunding but I’m struck by one of the comments under a Daily Mail article on this subject suggesting it’s the top tier fat cats who are part of the problem;

‘Kerslake has half a dozen paid jobs in addition to his £60,000 for 2 days a week NHS job, his £200,000 civl service pension, his several lucrative directorships ensure that he won't have to wait at A&E in the future.’

 

[mikeyB]

He might have a £200,000 pension, which is a tad higher than my civil service pension, but that doesn’t make his protest any less believable. In fact, his status sets him apart from the government yes men who usually populate such posts.

 

[trophywench]

A man of principle in fact and it wasn't like he took the job purely for the money.

 

[Amigo]

He might have a £200,000 pension, which is a tad higher than my civil service pension, but that doesn’t make his protest any less believable. In fact, his status sets him apart from the government yes men who usually populate such posts.

I agree but my point refers to the number of fat cats within the NHS raking in huge salaries and you can guarantee not many of them are clinically operational. I observed them in their posts and they were the chosen few in the NHS who actually scored ‘productivity payments’ which seemed to me impossible to quantify.

Jenny, I’ve no doubt this man has acted out of principle regardless of the salary involved but he’ll just be replaced by someone who won’t feel such a sense of public conscience. I’d rather he’d fought from the inside for change.

 

[grovesy]

More recent reports are suggesting he resigned before he was pushed.