The Chair of Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust, Baroness Tessa Blackstone, and the Board, have stated that Dr Jane Collins and her management team have the complete support of the Board.
Since Monday morning, Baroness Blackstone has received a large number of statements of support for Dr Collins from the consultants and other senior staff at the hospital. 122 consultants had signed letters of support by 13:00pm, Weds.
She has issued the following to all hospital staff today
Chair statement to staff
"I am writing to update you about what you may have read or seen in the media.
I met four consultants who wished to see me to raise various concerns. I said that I would look into the issues that they raised and get back to them. I have discussed the matters that they raised with other key individuals within the Trust.
So far I have not been forwarded the letter referred to in the media signed by a number of consultants. However, since Monday morning, I have received letters and statements of support for Dr Collins and the senior management team from 122 consultants and many other senior staff within the hospital.
I am meeting a representative of the four consultants concerned today to give them my conclusions.
My fellow non-executive directors and I have also discussed these matters and I wish to be absolutely clear that Dr Jane Collins and her management team have the complete support of the Board."
Chair’s statement ends
The issues include matters surrounding specific staff which the Trust is not able to discuss. However the Trust absolutely refutes the accusation of a bullying culture alleged in the media.
UPDATE Friday
Signatures of support
There are now 126 consultant signatories to a series of letters of support. None of these do ‘little or no NHS work’ and all have significant clinical responsibilities.
A study of the list of support seen so far shows that all are people any fair minded person would accept is a consultant at the hospital, part of clinical teams caring for patients.
There are:
- 113 GOSH employees
- 95 - full time
- 13 - 70-99%
- 1 - 65%
- 3 - half time
- 1 - less than half time
13 further consultants, academics paid for by the Institute of Child Health, with substantial clinical responsibilities, that is they treat NHS patients at Great Ormond Street Hospital
Of course we have received many other messages of support.
Contact information:
GOSH-ICH Press Office: 020 7239 3125
Email:
Coxs@gosh.nhs.ukFor genuine and urgent out of hours call speak to switchboard on 020 7405 9200
