Health cash hits the skids, Teesdale Mercury

A GOVERNOR of an NHS trust has resigned after health chiefs offered £1million to help grit the county’s roads – instead of investing the cash into hospital services.

Kath Toward, from Barnard 

Castle, was a member of County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust’s governing council.

But the well-known former upper dale farmer has launched a damning attack on the trust, which runs 

hospitals in Darlington, Durham and Bishop Auckland.

She says she is fed up with dozens of pointless meetings and being told services are “world class”. 

Mrs Toward is also “incandescent with rage” that the Primary Care Trust has offered Durham County Council £1,000,000 over two years 

to help grit roads and salt pavements.

Mrs Toward said: “I have not heard of any of our elected representatives challenging this. Along with all Durham residents I pay council tax to the council to grit roads and salt pavements. 

“In the upper dale we cannot even get our roads gritted before the school transport has to set off with its precious cargoes.  

“We need many more physiotherapists and speech therapists in this county and I feel that £1,000,000 would have gone some way towards helping pay for more therapy hours.”

The foundation trust, which was formed in 2007, also provides some services from Richardson Community Hospital.

The trust’s board of directors is accountable to the governing council.

Mrs Toward said: “Earlier this year, I suddenly became like the small boy who saw through the Emperor’s new clothes.  

“I cannot tell you how many meetings I have attended with managers from various sectors of the NHS.

“I meet many of the same people and we are asked very similar questions each time. Each time patient representatives tell the NHS representatives what we would like to see from a particular service and what problems we encounter.

“We all go home and nothing happens until another letter arrives asking us to attend a meeting to discuss problems with a service and we all go off and do it again.”

Ms Toward described recent “chaos” due to building works at Darlington Memorial Hospital, saying she could not find a parking space. She said: “I think the trust really ought to consider offering free parking for the duration of the building works.  

“Each week we are told how wonderful things are in the NHS.  I had occasion to be hospitalised this summer. All staff on the ward were wonderful but I constantly heard the same story. 

“They have to ignore all that is going on around them and keep the show on the road and make sure everything is right for patients.”

She said the hospital was tired and that some of the £1million offered to treat the roads should have been spent on repairs.

Mrs Toward, who has spent almost 20 years representing patients from Teesdale, added: “Sadly, now I have had enough. I am waving the white flag.”

A spokeswoman for County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust said: “The trust has accepted Kath Toward’s resignation with deep regret. 

“Kath was a hard working and 

effective governor. 

“We would like to thank her for her efforts and support during her time as a governor and wish her well for the future.” 

A spokeswoman for the county council confirmed that the PCT has offered £1million towards winter maintenance. The PCT was unavailable for comment.

l See also letters, page four.