Hospital boss steps down after five months

The managing director of a hospital has stepped down after five months in the job.

Michelle Arrowsmith joined the Queen Elizabeth Hospital on 19 January with hopes of improving services in the community and delivering safe, high-quality healthcare.

She will be replaced by Jo Segasby, who has been the group chief delivery officer and deputy group chief executive of the Norfolk and Waveney University Hospitals Group (NWUHG).

Lesley Dwyer, chief executive of the NWUHG, said: "Importantly, there is no change to clinical services, and patient safety and quality of care remain our absolute priorities."

North East Cambridgeshire MP Steve Barclay shared a copy of a letter sent by Dwyer outlining the changes.

It said the leadership change came at the same time the hospital hoped to "reaffirm our focus on recovery and high-quality care" for constituents.

"The challenges facing The QEH remain, and sustained improvement depends on strong, stable leadership and the right support being in place," the letter said.

"I remain fully committed to supporting Jo [Segasby] and colleagues at The QEH to deliver safe, effective care and the improvements our communities expect and deserve."

On social media, Barclay said: "The managing director of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn, Michelle Arrowsmith, responsible for many of the services at the North Cambs community hospital site in Wisbech, has announced she is leaving suddenly next week despite only starting her role in January this year.

"I will be accepting the Group Chief Executive's offer of a meeting, to continue to make the case for more local services at the Wisbech site, rather than the current centralisation in acute hospital settings, which requires patients to face the cost and unnecessary journeys for treatments that should be delivered at the North Cambs site."

The North Cambridgeshire Hospital in Wisbech provides services including minor injury care, physiotherapy, phlebotomy, palliative care and specialist outpatient appointments.

Confirming Arrowsmith's departure, Dwyer said: "I recognise that changes in leadership can raise understandable questions for patients, staff and the local community.

"My focus is on supporting staff and ensuring that patients continue to receive safe, high-quality care while we continue the recovery work already under way at The QEH."

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