People in Sutton deserve the truth about Health Boss's sudden departure - Burstow

12.00.00am GMT Sun 7th Jan 2007

Paul Burstow, MP for Sutton and Cheam, has written to Michael Doherty, Chairman of Epsom and St Helier Hospital trust to demand further information about the unexpected departure of Lorraine Clifton, the Chief Executive of the Trust who stepped down on 31st December.

In the letter, Mr Burstow seeks an explanation for the sudden departure and seeks clarification over whether Ms Clifton left voluntarily and at a time of her choosing. The letter also requests information about the financial package offered to Ms Clifton on her departure.

Mr Burstow's letter also makes a freedom of information request for all documentation relating to the departure of Ms Clifton. Under the Freedom of Information Act, the Trust is obliged to reply to Mr Burstow's requests within 20 working days.

Epsom and St Helier Hospital Trust announced Ms Clifton's departure at the start of the Christmas holiday season, in a move which has been seen as an attempt to bury the news.

Commenting on the news, Paul Burstow MP said:

"The secrecy surrounding Ms Clifton's departure and the haste with which it was executed raise questions not just about the future of senior managers in the local NHS but also the future of St Helier itself."

"Ms Clifton had been closely associated with the Better Healthcare Closer to Home project and the cuts and closures programme that the Trust has been implementing over the last few months.

"The question the public have a right to have answered is was she pushed or did she jump? The answer to that question will tell us everything we need to know about the future of our local NHS."

"It comes as no surprise that staff morale at St Helier is already at rock bottom. The unseemly sight of the old Chief Executive being bundled out of her job over the Christmas period in favour of a temporary replacement will not serve to improve morale."

"The new interim Chief Executive now has the task of demonstrating that his role is not that of the hatchet man sent in to oversee the downgrading of local services and the closure of A and E."