A new site chief executive has been appointed for King’s College Hospital in Denmark Hill, tasked with improving standards for patients and staff.
As the News has reported, King’s is still falling short of meeting the four-hour wait targets in A&E.
Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors say not enough improvement has been made in key areas including mandatory staff training completion rates, and equipment safety checks, to move the hospital out of the ‘requires improvement’ rating.
John Palmer was hired for the newly created role, and will be tasked with improving the hospital’s performance, as well as working on its long-term planning.
Mr Palmer is currently the chief operating officer for the Welsh Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board, with responsibility for its three district general hospitals in Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil and Rhondda Cynon Taf.
“I am delighted to be joining King’s at such an important time in the organisation’s development,” he said.
“I am really looking forward to working with the senior team, clinicians, our staff and health system partners to deliver important outcomes for our population.
“I hope that my experience of delivering integrated care in proud, complex and deprived communities in south Wales over the last ten years will support the development and implementation of our own collaboration and transformational plans. I cannot wait to get started.”
He will take up the position of deputy group chief executive for King’s trust, and site chief executive for the Denmark Hill hospital, in late May 2020.