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Lorraine has asked me to post this for her:-
Hi
In the local papers, except for yourdover which gave good coverage, it has been correctly reported that I had resigned as Governor for Dover of the East Kent Hospitals University Trust (EKHUFT), but have not said why.
I feel that the people of Dover should be told.
First of all I was elected on the tight remit to try and secure the best hospital services for Dover based on the White Paper Our Health, Our Care, Our Say. I had won the right for these services at the Kent County Council Health and Overview Committee hearings in May and September last year.
However, as a Governor I was expected to sign a form conforming to the principal of collective responsibility. This meant that I would have to publicly agree with any decision made by the EKHUFT Executive that would be detrimental to Dover, however vehemently I would disagree.
When I questioned this - and I was the only Governor to question it - it was made clear that in the view of the other Governors, I had a conflict of interests between the needs of the people of Dover, who had elected me, and the interests of the EKHUFT!
It was felt that the over-riding concern of the EKHUFT to be competitive in the world of national health care. To my mind the over-riding responsibility of the EKHUFT is to look after the needs of the people of Dover, (and also similar economically deprived areas where hospital access is poor). Once that is achieved THEN the Trust can turn its attention to creating the bright shiny highly competitive organisation that the EKHUFT aspires to.
Sadly I was defeated on both issues. Further, the values and aspirations of the other Governors expressed that afternoon were abhorrent to me. They imply that in the long run Dover will reap the benefits of a Trust that is geared to compete in the wider health market. As an economist, I quoted the late, great John Maynard Keynes, "in the long run we are all dead."
Lorraine Sencicle
