Funding problems in NHS have led to the resignation of Lord Kerslake as chairman of King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, according to a report from BBC.
Lord Kerslake issued a statement on his decision to quit his post at King's, a major hospital trust in London. "I do not do this lightly as I love King's but believe the government and regulator are unrealistic about the scale of the challenge facing the NHS and the trust," he said.
"I want to pay tribute to the staff and their excellent patient care."
But NHS Improvement described the hospital's financial performance as "unacceptable".
A spokeswoman added: "It is the worst in the NHS and continues to deteriorate."
Lord Kerslake also paid tribute to the "world-class" care given at the hospital, especially after the Westminster and London Bridge terror attacks, in a self-penned Guardian article.
The peer added: "There are undoubtedly things that I and the trust could have done better, there always are, but fundamentally our problems lie in the way that the NHS is funded and organised."
Lord Kerslake's comments come after the board of NHS England said targets for waiting times could not be met next year even with the extra money allocated in the Budget.
Ongoing talks between King's College Hospital and the regulator NHS Improvement are aimed at reducing the hospital deficits. One option reportedly being considered is to place the hospital into a financial special measures regime in which NHS Improvement staff would work alongside King's management.
Labour's shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said the resignation was "embarrassing for the government".
King's College Hospital described Lord Kerslake as a "passionate advocate and champion" of the trust who had a "heartfelt commitment to staff and patients".
NHS Improvement said it respected Lord Kerslake's decision to step down and would "replace him with a highly experienced new chair to take charge of the trust's position".
Amidst King's NHS foundation trust’s financial woes, a Department of Health spokeswoman said the agency will support the hospital “to tackle these issues and continue to deliver high quality care for patients under a new chairman.”
Source: BBC
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Funding problems in NHS have led to the resignation of Lord Kerslake as chairman of King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, according to a report from BBC.
