Final Report > Chapter 12: Responses to Concerns and Actions Taken, and Whether Such Actions were Appropriate and Prompt > Responses within the UBH/T > Action by the Chair of the Trust Board

Action by the Chair of the Trust Board

46 Mr Geoffrey Mortimer, the Chair of the Bristol and Weston District Health Authority who had not been enthusiastic about the application for trust status, resigned in September 1990. He had been sent a copy of Dr Bolsin's 1990 letter to Dr Roylance concerning what Dr Bolsin saw as an inaccuracy in the application for trust status. We have no evidence of any response.

47 In April 1991 Mr Peter Durie became the first Chair of the UBHT. In late 1991 Mr Martin Elliott, Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Great Ormond Street Hospital, was invited to apply for the Chair of Cardiac Surgery at the University of Bristol. He visited Bristol on a number of occasions to discuss the position and to acquaint himself with the facilities. On one of these visits Mr Elliott met Mr Durie. Their discussion included the problem of the split site, the solution of which was `a fundamental requirement' [46] for Mr Elliott if he was to apply for the Chair. However, Mr Durie's suggestions (particularly that the person appointed to the Chair would have to generate income to resolve the problem) were regarded as `totally unacceptable' [47] by Mr Elliott. He declined the invitation to apply, writing to Mr Wisheart subsequently with an explanation. [48]

48 The Inquiry found no evidence of any response before 1994 from the non-executive members of the Board or the Chair of the Board to any raising of concerns about the PCS service. They relied heavily on the Chief Executive for advice, who in turn relied upon Mr Wisheart.

49 In May 1994 Mr Durie asked Professor Angelini to write him a letter setting out the situation, after a meeting at which the poor results in PCS, and the need to appoint a dedicated paediatric surgeon, were discussed. Mr Durie was to leave office at the end of that month. The confusion over Mr Durie's failure to ensure that a system was in place to record that the letter had been received from Professor Angelini following the meeting, so that any necessary action could be considered, indicates the need for there to be a foolproof system to cover periods of time when responsibility is handed over and there is some hiatus before the successor assumes office, so as to ensure that there is continuity in dealing with correspondence. His successor, Mr McKinlay, took up office in July 1994, and was a more active Chair of the Trust Board. Having been approached by Professor Angelini and Professor Farndon in September 1994, he saw them about the need for a second paediatric cardiac surgeon and their concerns about the poor results in PCS. At some point during the 1994 Christmas period he discussed with Dr Roylance the need for an external review of the service. Subsequently, the Hunter/de Leval review was commissioned. Their report was accepted by the Board in March 1995, after revision, it was said, to make it more suitable for a wider audience, and a protocol for action was promptly agreed. In all these respects Mr McKinlay's actions were appropriate.

Footnotes

[46] WIT 0467 0007 Mr Elliott

[47] WIT 0467 0007 Mr Elliott

[48] JDW 0003 0102