East of England Ambulance chief quits due to ill health

The Chief Executive of the troubled East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) is leaving her post due to ill health.

Dorothy Hosein became permanent boss in December of 2019, but had been in post as interim boss since November 2018.

In a statement she said:

Dr Tom Davis, medical director and deputy chief executive, will continue as interim chief until a permanent replacement is appointed, that process is expected to be completed in April.

Hosein had previously been Chief Executive at King's Lynn's Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

She took over the Ambulance Trust at a time when it was branded the worst performing in the country.

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The East of England Ambulance Service has been criticised by the region's MPs for, among other things its response times - missing monthly targets to get to life threatening calls in under eight minutes.

She was the third permanent boss in five years.

In 2013, Dr Anthony Marsh became interim chief executive - combining his role with leadership of the West Midlands Service. He stepped down in 2015 - replaced by former paramedic Robert Morton. But after three years of tremendous pressure on the service, resigning in 2018. The Trust had been slammed by unions over understaffing and the stress placed on crews.

Last May an independent report into a spate of deaths at the service has recommended staff are offered more training to prevent serious mental health problems developing.

Three members of the service died suddenly within an 11 day period in November 2019, prompting questions about the pressures on ambulance staff.

Then last September another damning report was published, detailing a culture of "bullying and abuse" at the service.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) found staff and patients were being put at risk by poor leadership and a failure to tackle serious allegations such as sexual harassment.

EEAST made the announcement of their Chief executive's departure this morning.

Nicola Scrivings, Trust Chair paid tribute to the departing boss: