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Who are the five experts appointed to drive 'change' in Health?

Who are the five experts appointed to drive 'change' in Health?

Monday 30 January 2023

Who are the five experts appointed to drive 'change' in Health?

Monday 30 January 2023


The government has announced the appointed of a 'Change Team' of five people to drive improvements in Health following two damning reports criticising the management of the department.

Health Minister Deputy Karen Wilson has confirmed that the five-strong panel will be tasked with enacting a "multifaceted change programme which addresses the deep-rooted cultural issues and ensures the provision of high-quality, safe, patient-centred care."

Last year, a report by Professor Hugo Mascie-Taylor found serious issues with governance at the Hospital and raised major concerns over the management and working culture within the Health Department. 

Similar issues came to the fore once again last week when the Comptroller and Auditor General issued a report describing poor relations between clinicians and senior management. 

hospital.jpeg

Pictured: A report by Professor Hugo Mascie-Taylor found serious issues with governance at the Hospital and the Health Department. 

Chris Brown, Beverley Edgar, Cathy Stone, Obi Hasan and Professor Simon Mackenzie have been appointed to the change team.

Deputy Wilson said: "It [the C&AG report] confirms the need for many of the actions which we, the department, with the assistance of the change team, will now act on.

"We will do this as part of our change programme to ensure that we provide good-quality healthcare to islanders."

Health Minister Karen Wilson.jpg

Pictured: The Health Minister, Deputy Karen Wilson. 

"This turnaround plan improving health services for tax-paying islanders will require expertise, staff engagement and leadership at all levels to deliver better care outcomes and I am committed to ensuring the new health board, the change team and all of HCS do this."

Mr Brown, who is a health professional with more than 35 years’ experience in senior board-level leadership roles, will lead the group. 

Deputy Wilson added: "The additional capacity, skills and knowledge of the change team will supplement those skills which already exist within Health and Community Services. I would like to welcome Chris, Beverley, Cathy, Obi and Simon.

"This is a significant investment to assist the much-needed change and turnaround required on the long-standing issues which islanders are aware of in the Health Department." 

Who is on the 'Change Team'?

According to government, "Chris Bown will be leading the Change Team. Chris is a health professional with over 35 years’ experience in senior board level leadership roles, the last 17 years at a senior level, including time spent in the Health Service in the Bahamas. Chris has practical experience in leading organisations through significant change and service transformation to deliver improvements for patients. 

Chris Brown

Pictured: Chris Brown, who will lead the team.

"Beverley Edgar is a highly experienced Human Resources Director, working at Executive Director level since 2008. Professor Simon Mackenzie joins the team as the clinical lead. He has extensive experience in clinical leadership positions, and almost 40 years working in healthcare as a clinician, executive and non-executive. 

"Cathy Stone comes from the Isle of Wight and has 16 years of clinical experience as a nurse and midwife working at Chief Nurse level, as well as more recently as a Clinical Director/CEO level in a Hospice environment. 

"Obi Hasan has extensive experience of leading large scale and complex transformation programmes and financial improvement programmes as Programme Director. He has over 20 years' board-level experience in health services, public and private healthcare, and other private sector industries."

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Posted by Aston Francis on
There is a pattern. Another 'damning report criticising management of the department' means another group of 'experts' with NHS background, usually paid hefty six-digit salaries. Despite by now millions spent on 'experts' the healthcare in Jersey is simply not working. Longest-ever waiting lists, lowest-ever staff morale, experienced consultants and nurses leaving the hospital and deep mistrust entrenched between the leaders and the healthcare workers. Throwing more money at the problem, carefully selecting the 'experts' and mesmerising the public opinion with a corporate/ NHS meaningless language full of priorities and promises without any single tangible, measurable objective (like above) - all from the handbook of survival for poor leaders. Why are we paying over half a million to the three health leaders at the top if we have to supplement them with experts like Kim Hodgson (£500k+), professor Mascie Taylor (est £400k+ in total), his special board of unknown yet membership and cost and now the 'change team'. There are over 300 various managers and directors employed at HCS too. All that for a small local hospital serving a 100.000 population. See what has recently happened in UK politics. What is the point of keeping incompetent leaders when they over and over failed the patients and families, engaged in or tolerated widespread bullying, as confirmed by the two reports? Get rid of the layers and layers of incompetent managers and directors, of all the red tape they create to justify their existence and hire competent leaders, not necessarily with an exclusive NHS upbringing. Worth noticing the above-listed 'change team' got hired by the minister of health before she even established and consulted with staff on the terms of reference for them. Perhaps they will create the terms of reference for themselves? Then why aren't we more transparent about the specific achievements of the new experts? What does it mean 'health professional'? I tried to google the head of the new team, and in 20-something pages, I failed to find any single reference. Not even from the Bahamas. It is all an attempt to buy time and a recipe for failure.
Posted by Tobias Philpott on
When will the Jersey Government and Political establishment learn that the solution to the problems created by "importing" so called "experienced" senior managers from the UK, is not to resort to the UK for more so called "experienced" managers?? The desperate circumstances of the UK are the result of over bureaucratization and huge expense on layers and layers of managers. The mess we are in, is because the previous two governments were wilfully blind to the incompetence of previous and some incumbent "expert imports"from the UK. Yet here we go again. FOI requests should be made as to how much this latest tranche of experts will cost the taxpayer, in addition to the Hundreds of Thousands alraedy spent on the Mascie Taylor "report" and appointment. Who recommended these 5 individuals? Was it the learned Professor??
Posted by Keith Marsh on
Nothing will change until they REMOVE the top level of Management at the Hospital.
I wish the new group well, and hope for a SPEEDY report and ACTION.
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