Mayor-elect responds to criticism

Date article online: 03/04/2008

Councillor Robin Parker has responded to the severe criticism, including calls for him to stand down as mayor-elect, over his role in seeking to have Councillor Jean Ashworth sacked from her job as a nurse at Rochdale Infirmary.

Councillor Parker, currently Deputy Mayor, said: "As I am a patient of Rochdale Infirmary and a recipient of excellent services I was becoming increasingly angry at seeing continual attacks on the hospital and its management in Jean Ashworth's Online Councillor Diary section.

"I felt that Jean was overstretching her position as a councillor and employee in doing this. For that reason I put in a complaint as a patient via the web site with a view to getting such entries stopped. There were a number of emails because I was struggling to get their communications officer to pass the information to the proper authorities.

"I did fail to understand why in Rochdale this could be continued unchallenged for so long when in Manchester Karen Reissman was sacked for criticising her bosses. I personally felt that that dismissal was an over reaction by management and that warnings should have sufficed.

"It is up to management to decide what action to take. I did not ask them to dismiss Jean and I repeat that my objective was to have the inappropriate diary entries stopped. However, I did naively assume that it would be dealt with professionally and internally as any patient making a complaint should have the right to expect but clearly that has not been the case.

"If the Infirmary bosses are happy for her to continue to undermine them that is a matter for them but it is an unusual style of management."

Pennines Acute Hospitals NHS Trust Chief Executive, John Saxby's reply to Councillor Parker's insistence that the Trust take action against Mrs Ashworth said:

Councillor Parker,

Your complaint has been investigated and I am able to confirm that no disciplinary action will be taken against Mrs Ashworth. The comments about which you complained and which she has made as a Local Councillor in her 'Rochdale Online Councillor's Diary' are not a breach of her terms and conditions of employment. The matter is therefore concluded.

I would not normally make such details known outside the Trust however rumours have reached me from outside sources suggesting that details of your complaint have somehow come in to the public domain. There has indeed been a "hint" and I will put it no stronger than that, that the Trust has taken or will be taking disciplinary action against Mrs Ashworth.

In those circumstances I am under an obligation to protect not only the good name of the individual member of staff but also the reputation of the Trust as an employer that does not seek to "gag" members of staff from making legitimate comment, even if it is comment with which the Trust disagrees. That applies especially to those staff who have external roles such as Councillors. Trades Union reps etc. as long as they identify themselves in their external role.

John Saxby