Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Into the Fire

I could be heading into a hornet's nest next week. On Tuesday, I have arranged to meet Mr Tom Taylor, normally the most mild mannered of men. But I think I can see smoke rising over Shrewsbury - and it could well be pouring from Tom Taylor's nostrils as it might from those of an outraged dragon.

Tom is the Chief Executive of the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust - which includes responsibility for the Princess Royal. Its only today that I have caught up with the news that the Princess Royal at Telford is one of the 29 hospitals that David Cameron has announced are on a closure list. It seems that Tom is unhappy about this and has asked for a correction. An apology was duly issued. But it now seems that the retraction (and apology) has itself been retracted. I am looking forward to discussing the background to all this with him next week.

I look on Tom Taylor as a personal friend - and greatly admire the way he has turned the Trust around, from a basket case into a secure financial position. But I suspect I could bear the brunt of his displeasure on Tuesday.

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