Consultants revolt over NHS partnership leadership

More than three-quarters of the consultants at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust have signed a letter of no confidence in the chief executive and executive leadership at Humber Health Partnership.

The trust is one of two NHS organisations that form the health partnership. The other is Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, which has been ranked by NHS England as bottom of its list of 134 acute trusts.

In the letter, seen by the BBC, the consultants cited ongoing concerns about the future of local services.

In response, the health partnership said the leadership team had the full confidence and support of the board.

A NHS England spokesperson added: "We've been clear about the need to tackle the long-standing and challenging issues at the trust and the leadership team retain our full support."

Lyn Simpson was appointed group chief executive of Humber Health Partnership in May after previously being appointed on an interim basis in July 2025.

In the letter, which was sent to group chairman Alan Downey on 12 August, the Northern Lincolnshire and Goole (NLAG) consultants said: "Many staff feel decisions affecting services on the south bank [of the Humber] are being made without sufficient local influence or engagement."

They said concerns over governance, local accountability, patient safety and workforce morale had not been adequately acknowledged or acted upon.

The letter continued: "We regret to inform you that we have reached the point where we have no confidence in the group chief executive and the current executive leadership's handling of the Humber Health Partnership group structure, and its impact on NLAG services.

"We wish to be clear that this letter does not express no confidence in you as chair, nor in the non-executive directors individually."

However, the letter said the current management model had not delivered the "local accountability, leadership focus or responsiveness required for NLAG services".

The consultants said they had previously put forward alternative proposals for NLAG's future governance, with the preferred option being "the full restoration" of the trust as an independent organisation, with its own board and executive team, working in collaboration with the Hull trust.

In a statement, Humber Health Partnership said "a significant part" of the correspondence related to the future organisational arrangements for NLAG.

It said they were already being considered through a review supported by NHS England and consultants.

"The review is expected to conclude in the coming weeks and will then be considered," a spokesperson said.

"The chair has responded directly to the colleagues concerned.

"Our focus remains on completing the organisational review and reaching decisions based on its conclusions in the interests of our 19,500 colleagues and the 1.8 million people we serve."

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