Wednesday, 5 December 12 Sir Peter Carr Chair NHS Trust ...

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egularly participated in top team meetings with the DH at Richmond House, with the leadership ofthe then Healthcare Commission, and also, of course with Monitor.After ten years as Chair at Basildon and Thurrock I had to relinquish the position. I was bothfortunate and proud to be offered the post of Chair at North Middlesex University Hospital, thehospital in which I was born, and I took up post there on March 1st 2007.When I arrived at NMUH the Trust was in a fairly parlous state, in the previous years it hadaccumulated a significant historic debt, had run consecutive deficits, and was achieving poorly onquality ratings. The fairly newly appointed Chief Executive, Clare Panniker, was coming towards theend of a period of maternity leave, and the Board had been designated weak by the health authority.Over a period of five years Clare and I completely turned the trust round. We made financialsurpluses for five years in a row, and repaid wholly our historic debt. Our quality ratings improveddramatically, particularly with regard to mortality rates, and from high incidences of MRSA and C.Diffwe have moved to a situation where there has not been an MRSA case for well over 500 days, andC.Diff is well below target.Soon after I arrived we signed major PFI agreement to replace about 60% of the old hospital, much ofwhich was over 100 years old. This PFI is affordable within our revenue stream, and was delivered ontime and on budget and opened in June 2010. It is a building that is admired by almost all who enterit.Alongside this we have coped with the continuing problem of the Barnet, Enfield and Haringey (BEH)Clinical Strategy. This was agreed by the trusts and the PCTs in December 2007. Since then therehave been numerous delays caused by local and political opposition, and also by the moratoriumplaced on such schemes by the Secretary of State following the change of government in 2010.These delays introduced a major uncertainty into our planning, and halted the progress that we weremaking towards achieving foundation trust status. This uncertainty was only finally removed aroundEaster time this year, and we have just commenced another development (£80m) to construct newwomen’s and children’s services on the site as part of the implementation of the BEH strategy. This isdue to open in late 2013.The performance of NMUH through all this has been exemplary. Plans and business cases have beenproduced on time and within budgetary forecasts, and at no time have we been responsible for anydelay.Clare Panniker left us in September this year, and we have continued, performing well with herdeputy now taking on the Acting CE role. Last week I was able with my NEDs to offer the permanentCE role to Julie Lowe, currently at Ealing. She intends to start with us in early February.Chairman David Hooper Acting Chief Executive Lance McCarthy 2
Also during the time I have been Chair I have completely changed the NED membership, and theposition of the Board now is that only myself and the Medical Director, Stanley Okolo were here formy first Board meeting in March 2007. All other personnel have changed.We have now signed our TFA, and we are due, all being well, to achieve FT status in the summer of2014. Even with the expanded activity resulting from the BEH strategy we will still be a relativelysmall trust, and as tariffs and modes of delivering healthcare move away from hospitals, it can by nomeans be taken for granted that foundation trust status will be achieved. Alongside the FT pathwaywe also need to significantly develop new ways of working, and also look to attract activity that is atpresent located elsewhere. Without this it will be very difficult to demonstrate the requiredcontinuing financial viability to Monitor.For a long time it had been my ambition (foolishly perhaps) to have been the chair that led one of thefirst group of trusts through to become an FT, and also one of the last so to do. Four years ago I wasinvited by the then Appointments Commission to work with Andrea Sutcliffe and Janice Scanlon,amongst others on the group that was reviewing the non‐executive appointments and appraisalprocesses for NHS Trusts. It was during one of these meetings that the above ambition was formed.Without doubt I am able to look back in pride at the contribution I have been able to make to the NHSin these various roles, and am pleased that I have never had less than a “B” appraisal during the past15 years. I have certainly done my very best, and I think I have been able to make a difference in therather limited arenas in which I have been able to operate. I have always done this, I hope withhumility and without pomp or false vanity.When, last week I spoke to the Trust Board, indicating to them that it could be the time for me to stepaside, and allow someone younger than myself to take over I was amazed by the reaction of several ofthe executives.• We all respect you and admire you .. we need you• You're an absolute champion and an outstanding chairman (by no means only my view) thathas taken NMUH from the brink of disaster to the heady heights of where it stands today• I was quite taken aback by your announcement. I think you have been a first class chairman• You have first class achievements here. Do not let anyone take that away from you.These are direct quotes from senior Board members, which have made me think very seriously aboutcarrying on to achieve my ambition. However, I think I should follow my instinct rather than bedriven by hubris.I reminded the Board that two years ago I held an event in the hospital at which I invited all staff whowere able to join me in a celebratory drink (soft) and a piece of cake. This event ran from about 11Chairman David Hooper Acting Chief Executive Lance McCarthy 3
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Wednesday, 5 December 12 Sir Peter Carr Chair NHS Trust ...

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