Health chief leaves hospital trust

The chief executive of the NHS trust that runs Newark Hospital has left after only eight months in the post.

Mr Martin Wakeley left Sherwood Forest Hospitals Foundation Trust on Thursday, May 31.

He joined the trust at the start of October with a vision for Newark Hospital which he described as realistic but ambitious.

The chairman of the trust, Tracy Doucét, said: "We are not able to comment on the circumstances leading to his departure given our continuing duty of confidentiality to Martin."

The trust has appointed Dr Mark Goldman as interim chief executive. He joined on Thursday of last week.

He is the trust's fourth chief executive in the past three years. Mr Jeffrey Worrall left in 2009 after eight years and was replaced by an acting chief executive, Carolyn White, who already worked for the trust and is now deputy chief executive.

Dr Goldman worked for 17 years as a consultant surgeon before becoming medical director and subsequently chief executive of Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust in Birmingham. He retired from that role in 2010 at the age of 59.

Tracy Doucét said: “The board of directors recognises that the organisation needs strong, experienced, successful leadership and I am looking forward to working with Mark over the next few months.

"Over the coming weeks, we will also begin our recruitment for the substantive chief executive role.”

She said senior staff and directors had been working over the last few weeks to develop the second year of a long term strategy and vision for the trust.

She said: “Our ambitious vision is that by 2020, we will be recognised across the East Midlands as the best provider of secondary care, and also as the creator and best provider of high quality, cost effective integrated care, forging new partnerships with our colleagues in primary, secondary and social care."