The head of the NHS in London, the biggest authority in the health service, has resigned over the government’s decision to halt a wave of hospital reorganisations, becoming the first major casualty in the life of the new coalition administration.
Sir Richard Sykes, chairman of NHS London since 2008, is said to be furious at the scrapping by the health secretary, Andrew Lansley, of the review of healthcare in the capital. The review included possible A&E closures and the possible closure of some maternity units.
In a letter to Lansley, Sykes said it made “no sense” for him to continue, because “our visions of healthcare delivery bear so little in common”. He revealed that other NHS London board members were also “considering their positions”.
Lansley replied saying he was sorry Sykes was leaving, but “neither the government nor NHS London should dictate the decisions made”.
The new secretary of state had made it clear during the election campaign that he regarded Labour’s attempt to reorganise the NHS to cut costs as a flawed exercise. Opponents criticised him for promising in some cases to reverse decisions to shut down services - even when doctors had backed them.
NHS London, which employs 200,000 people, was at the forefront of producing a radical plan aimed at heading off a £5bn deficit in the capital’s health budget. It said London had a higher number of hospital beds than the national average and warned: “The current configuration of hospital services is not making best use of taxpayers’ money.”
Read more at The Guardian.
Tags: London, Reconfiguration
