April 28, 2001 17:40: INVESTIGATIONS into West Herts Hospitals NHS Trust will be carried out by local doctors, with a view to calling for the resignation of the chief executive and chairman.

At a meeting of the West Herts British Medical Association (BMA) held on Tuesday night, doctors discussed asking for the resignations of chief executive Stephen Eames and chairman Rosie Sanderson, who head the trust responsible for Hemel Hempstead and St Albans hospitals.

The trust has come under heavy criticism, from various parties in the past year, following a series of scandals.

There is currently an inquiry into the surgical record of two gynaecologists at Hemel Hempstead and St Albans hospitals after more than 100 complaints.

There has been an investigation into hip operations at Hemel Hempstead, where twice the national average of patients are likely to die within 28 days of admission.

And Watford General has appeared on a list of the country's ten dirtiest hospitals.

Chairman of the West Herts BMA Dr Christopher Treves Brown said: "The BMA is much troubled by what has been going on at the trust, and the matter was discussed at a meeting, held for other purposes, on Tuesday.

"The idea of calling for the resignations was brought up and received support from those present."

Dr Treves Brown went on to say, before any decision was made on whether to call for resignations, the BMA would interiew hospital staff and study inquiries being held into the gynaecology case and the published report into the hip operations.

Dr Michael Jameson, a retired St Albans GP, attended Tuesday's meeting.

He said: "There is an extraordinary polarisation between the managers and the doctors.

"There have been horror stories during the last year but really the problems have been going on for the last few years.

"The morale of doctors working for the trust is at an all-time low, and patients are complaining about the hospitals."

Another doctor, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "We will do what we can to help our hospitals. The aim of the exercise is to develop a clear sense of leadership and a better culture of management. We want a reasonable quality of management within the local health economy, sensitive to the needs of the people.

We are there to make ill patients better that is the real aim, which is sometimes forgotten."

Not all doctors supported calling for the resignations.

Dr Russell Griffin, of the West Herts Hospitals NHS Trust's Medical Staff Committee, and Dr Sarah Hill, chair of the Local Negotiating Committee (staff representative of the BMA), issued a statement that read: "The consultant body supports the leadership of the trust in tackling the challenging issues which...the trust is currently facing."

A trust spokesperson said it was addressing problems but would not comment on the resignation call.

Caroline Graham