Hospital chiefs' waste and secrecy exposed

In an unprecedented attack, international business expert Michael Sadler described how government reforms had robbed hospital boards of power.

The former finance director and head of human resources at Mars quit his post as a non-executive director of the troubled Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals trust in protest against the way it is being run.

He claimed the hospital was descending into chaos, staff were demoralised, the hospital was overrun with expensive management consultants, and financial information was being kept secret.

His comments raise serious questions over the Government's health reforms. The trust is at the forefront of radical mergers that will affect tens of thousands of patients.

Mr Sadler, from Cobham, Surrey, said the trust's board had been banned from talking about the hospital's long-term future - a topic entrusted instead to management consultants.

"If it carries on like this the hospital will die on its feet," Mr Sadler said. "My job was to create a vision for the future of the hospital, but the future plans are actually being given to us from on high. Government is pouring out pronouncements of how things should be."

He added: "The executives are completely confused by the topdown planning. We have had whiplash changes of strategy from the department of health.

"These plans are taking power away from us."

In a damning resignation letter to trust chairman John Davey, Mr Sadler said: "Our board seems to spend an amazing amount of time examining the detail and trivia of our trust's activities while studiously avoiding any discussion of the matters of strategic importance. Frankly I have totally lost confidence in your leadership of the trust and am not prepared to work any longer on your board."

Mr Davey responded by thanking Mr Sadler for his contribution. "Michael's insights contributed to debate at board level. We wish him well for the future," he said.

The trust is in the midst of a review of its children's and maternity services, which could see wards closed. Patients reacted with fury when it emerged the hospital hired health chief Ruth Harrison, who presided over a superbug scandal, to lead the review. She was forced to resign and other management consultants were hired.

Mr Sadler told the Standard: "I say fire the management consultants and let's do it ourselves. We are in chaos on this project. We have six teams of management consultants all for the women and children's services review."

The 61-year-old, who was paid £5,000 a year to work two-andahalf days a month for the trust, added that he had asked seven times to see financial information about the maternity departments of the hospitals, but it was kept secret.

The trust said: "The board has had a significant role to play in developing and executing our strategic vision, in particular the creation and implementation of the trust's clinical strategy." It had also been heavily involved in the women and children's services review.

The Department of Health said: "Proposals for the reconfiguration of services are a matter for the local NHS working in conjunction with clinicians, patients and other stakeholders and built upon a sound clinical case for change."