The chief executive of Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SATH) has announced that he will leave the trust to start a new role at the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICS.
Mr Wright, who joined SATH in September 2015, is expected to take up the role of director of clinical services review at Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICS on 22 July.
He leaves at a difficult time for the trust, which is undergoing investigation into the deaths of and injuries to mothers and babies cared for at the trust’s maternity unit between 1998 and 2017.
Last month, the SATH was fined £16,000 after a court found that it had exposed both trust employees and contractors to asbestos.
The trust was asked to pay costs of £18,385.80 incurred by Health and Safety Executive in the course of investigating on the case.
The trust, which was rated inadequate by the CQC in November 2018 following safety concerns at its maternity and emergency units, also faces conditions on its registration with the CQC.
It must now provide weekly reports to the CQC to show how it is addressing the issues raised by the regulator.
Last year, the trust considered temporarily closing its A&E department at Princess Royal Hospital (PRH) in Telford during the winter months due to staffing shortages.
While the trust in the end secured the staff needed to keep the A&E department open over winter, Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin CCGs did opt to close the emergency department at PRH in February this year.
Mr Wright said that the decision to leave the trust hadn’t ‘been an easy one to make’.
He added: ‘I believe the trust is at the start of an exciting journey, and although there are still many challenges remaining the foundations have been laid to build a better future.’
SATH chair Ben Reid said: ‘On behalf of the board I wish to thank Simon for his contribution while at the trust.
‘We will be building upon the foundations he has laid to ensure we can deliver the first-class service that the public we serve deserve.’
