Head of hospital in Boris Johnson’s constituency quits weeks after coronavirus outbreak

The head of the London hospital that serves Boris Johnson’s constituency today quit with immediate effect, a month after its staff were at the centre of a coronavirus outbreak.

Sarah Tedford, who earned about £190,000 a year and had a NHS pension pot worth almost £1 million, tendered her resignation as chief executive of Hillingdon hospital, the trust said in a statement.

It said she had departed, after almost two years at the helm, for “family reasons”.

Last month the Standard revealed the hospital had been forced to close to emergency ambulances after an outbreak of Covid-19 among staff, possibly linked to an in-house conference.

About 70 staff fell sick or had to go into self-isolation. Thousands were tested before the hospital’s A&E could be fully reopened after nine days.

The outbreak was first reported on July 3 but 999 emergency ambulances were not diverted until the evening of July 7. They did not return until July 16.

Morale at the hospital was said to have plummeted after Ms Tedford was reported to have effectively blamed staff for the outbreak for not wearing a mask at work.

Staff at the hospital, which serves the Prime Minister’s Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency and Heathrow airport, had demanded to know from Ms Tedford why they had not been routinely tested for the virus – only to be told there were no tests available.

Ms Tedford was also pictured at staff events not wearing a mask – while sitting in front of a sign saying “You must wear a face covering during your time in hospital”.

Sir Amyas Morse, chair of the trust, said: “Today, I accepted Sarah Tedford’s resignation as chief executive. Sarah has reached a personal decision to stand down for family reasons, a decision I respect and understand. Covid-19 has presented an unprecedented challenge for all of us, and it has also reminded so many of us of the importance of family.

“Sarah is leaving with immediate effect. I want to take this opportunity to thank her for serving the National Health Service for 35 years and for her service to The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.”

Lesley Watts, chief executive of Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust, will advise the board and the hospital’s executives until a replacement is found.

The hospital is in dire need of rebuilding – last October it was forced to close some children’s wards due to “structural failures” – but has not been put in the first tranche of trusts due to receive NHS cash for major capital projects.

Ms Tedford said: “I joined the NHS as a student nurse in 1985, and I have always strived to do my very best for my patients and colleagues. However, recent months have really caused me to reflect about working so far away from my family.

“I am pleased that we have made progress with the redevelopment of our estate, with our board agreeing the strategic outline case for a new build. I would like to thank everyone who has been involved in this, including our patients, our clinical leaders, all of our frontline workforce, our partners, the broader NHS system and local councillors.”