New hospitals trust boss facing debt challenge
Last updated 19:23, Thursday, 06 November 2008
THE NEW chief executive of the West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven and Carlisle’s Cumberland Infirmary has spoken of the challenges she faces at a trust with £23 million of debts.
what you think box please - can the trust pay off its debts?
Carole Heatly was head-hunted to replace Marie Burnham at North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust.
She came from Kingston in London to a trust in severe debt, which is on the brink of starting work on a new hospital to replace the West Cumberland Hospital.
The 49-year-old Scot is renting a house in Warcop but wants to find a home near the sea.
She said she was relishing the new role.
“It feels like coming home; people are open and friendly.
“I wanted to be at a trust with lots of challenges and the trust is going through a lot of change. It has got many, many more challenges than in London,” she said.
During her career, Ms Heatly has overseen the building of a new hospital and two new medical units.
She added: “I’m delighted we’re going to have a new health care facility in Cumbria. We’re developing an outline business case and we’ll have made a decision by April about the location of the new hospital.”
Funding of up to £150 million is available for the facility and the trust is still deciding what range of services it will deliver.
Ms Heatly said that building next door to the existing hospital was a consideration, if the site was big enough.
The NHS’s tariff funding system does not suit rural areas like Cumbria and she sees this as one of the biggest challenges to overcome.
This and tackling the transport difficulties patients face will be among her priorities.
In recent months, the trust has broken even and moved into a position to start paying off its debts, which must be cleared in the next three to five years.
Some savings are being made after 130 staff agreed to leave in a voluntary severance scheme.
Money will also be saved through the development of the Closer to Home scheme, which will see community hospitals take more pressure off acute centres.
This could see elderly patients being moved for full recuperation.
