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GMB slam promotion of NHS Officer responsible for Coperforma fiasco

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GMB slam new promotion of Wendy Carberry the NHS officer responsible for the Sussex patient transport outsourcing fiasco.

This is extremely worrying considering the scale and cost to date of errors by High Weald and Lewes Haven CCG, says GMB Southern

GMB, the union for healthcare staff in Sussex, have commented on the decision to promote High Weald and Lewes Haven Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) Officer Wendy Carberry.

Carberry, who led on commissioning the disastrous privatisation of the PTS service to Coperforma, has now been promoted to Managing Director for the ‘south place’ of the new NHS Central Sussex Commissioning Alliance. [See notes to editors for previous GMB releases on Coperforma]

The alliance is formed from 4 of the county’s CCG’s and includes the High Weald and Lewes Haven, along with Brighton and Hove, Crawley and Horsham and Mid Sussex CCGs.

Gary Palmer GMB Regional Organiser says:

“Whilst GMB members, staff, and South Central Ambulance Service work very hard to put back together a PTS service in Sussex, which the patients and public in the county deserve, the list of those who profited or benefitted from either incompetency, corruption or a combination of both, just seems to grow.

“PTS Contractors Docklands Medical services and VM Langfords, who ran off with staff’s monies and pensions have gone into liquidation, thus avoiding paying back anything. Coperforma and its management team led by CEO Michael Clayton, who were paid £16.2 million which is more for ruining the service over 7 months then they would contractually have received for delivering PTS service over 12 months successfully, have now filed to be struck off.

“Now the latest is that the contracts accountable officer, Wendy Carberry, who lead the disastrous procurement program and its day to day management with Coperforma, has not only not faced any public enquiry or been held openly to account for such a shambles, but has in fact very much seen that incompetency rewarded, with a promotion to Southern Managing Director of the new and larger combined NHS Central Sussex Commissioning Alliance.

“This is extremely worrying considering the scale and cost to date of errors by High Weald and Lewes Haven CCG and the accountable officer further being able to potentially place patients in possible harm again.

“With this promotion comes an opportunity to work and have a say on even larger public funded procurement contracts and sell offs disasters. For Wendy Carberry it is like being able to gamble when you know you can’t lose, and regardless of the result and suffering of others you don’t.

“Stand down Wendy Carberry, it’s the right thing to do.”

ENDS

Contact: Gary Palmer 07552 165 950 or GMB Press Office 07970 114 762

Notes to Editors

GMB Press Releases
1] GMB welcomes Shadow Secretary’s call for inquiry into Coperforma (10 Jan 2018)
 
2] GMB call for parliamentary inquiry into Coperforma following new report (8 Jan 2018)
 
3] Lessons to be learned by NHS after Coperforma dissolution (20 Dec 2017)