THE performance of West Herts Hospitals NHS Trust has come under attack from Harpenden MP Peter Lilley.

Mr Lilley says "things cannot go on as they are" and is calling for a new non-political chairman to be appointed. He said it was now time to put someone in place who could shake things up within the organisation.

Referring to a string of damaging reports and claims patients' lives are being put at risk by poor health and safety standards, he called for a new chairman to be put in place to improve services offered by the trust.

Mr Lilley said: "Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Strategic Health Authority came tenth in a nationwide table of health authorities which were failing health and safety rules.

"Nearly 15 per cent of wards, waiting rooms, corridors and bathrooms failed to meet the required standards.

"The worst conditions are to be found in the dilapidated hospitals managed by West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust.

"It is high time that a new strong new non-political chairman is appointed to reinforce the work of the relatively new chief executive Val Harrison to improve the organisation so that patients in West Hertfordshire receive the treatment they deserve."

He said East and North Herts Trust recently appointed a businessman to take over the chairmanship from a government minister and this had been a success.

Mr Lilley added: "I have been impressed by the results from the new chairman who came in and exposed flaws as well as making necessary changes. This is something I think West Herts could benefit from."

Referring to a survey carried out by health organisation Dr Foster, entitled The Good Hospital Guide and published by The Sunday Times, Mr Lilley said that acute hospitals in West Hertfordshire suffered the biggest rise in patient death rates in the NHS between 2001 and 2002. He said the trust also recorded among the longest waiting times despite relatively high staffing levels.

But in response to the allegations a spokesman for the hospitals trust said the report contained many inaccuracies.

"The highest rise in mortality table is misleading. Dr Foster has used data from 2000 compared with data from 2001/2 to establish this figure and we believe that the 2000 figure used was incorrect leading to a distorted percentage increase." added the spokesman.

The spokesman said the trust had a relatively small number of beds and and this would explain why the ratio of beds to nurses would seem high.

She added that a great deal of the trust's estate is in poor repair owing to many years of under investment from the Government.

May 13, 2003 11:00