Trust appoints interim chair following MPs' criticism

Dudley Group Foundation Trust has appointed Dame Yve Buckland as its interim chair for six months, following the departure of Jenni Ord. 

Dame Yve is currently chair at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital FT. She will continue in this role as well as take up the post at Dudley from May. 

Her appointment comes after MPs criticised the trust for extending Ms Ord’s tenure in December, before it had published an independent report into whistleblower allegations of bullying by executive board members. 

In February, Ms Ord announced she had decided to step down from her role to “regain a better work-life balance”. 

The full whistleblowing report, carried out by law firm Capsticks, is yet to be published. However, a summary version published in March did not substantiate any claims of systemic bullying and harassment. 

In April last year, the trust was given an “inadequate” rating for its urgent and emergency care department by the Care Quality Commission. It has since recieved four enforcement action notices regarding the safety of its emergency services.

Fred Allen, lead governor for the Dudley Group FT, said: “On behalf of the council of governors, I would like to welcome Dame Yve Buckland as our interim chair.

“She has come highly recommended and we wish her every success in this very important and demanding position.

“We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to Jenni Ord who has been our chair for the last three years and wish her all the best for the future.”

Dame Yve said: “The Dudley Group Foundation Trust has been a beacon of NHS provision not only in the West Midlands, but also nationally.

“I look forward to taking up the role of interim chair, and supporting The Dudley Group through the next phase of its development.”