Troubled NHS Trust appoints new finance director to fix deficit

Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals Trust has appointed a new director of finance in a bid to resolve the debt crisis left by his predecessors.

The NHS Foundation Trust has recruited Jon Sargeant to join its executive team and board starting in November.

Jon is currently Director of Finance at Burton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and has more than 25 years of experience within the health service.

Jon said: “I am looking forward to joining the team in Doncaster and Bassetlaw. The trust is routinely amongst the country’s highest-performing NHS organisations and I hope to assist this continued development.

“Ensuring that the trust is financially healthy will require considerable skill, however I am confident that, alongside the team, we will be able to meet these challenges while continuing to offer high quality services for the people of Doncaster, Bassetlaw and beyond.”

Jon takes over the post from interim director Jeremy Cook, who stepped into the breach after the controversial resignation of Matt Lowry in October 2016.

Lowry stood down amid revelations of a £12million black hole in the trust’s finances, a deficit which has continued to grow since.

Trust chief executive Mike Pinkerton, who will depart the trust in January, said: “We are delighted to welcome Jon to the organisation and look forward to working with him.

“Coming with high recommendation, Jon brings a wealth of experience to the trust which will be invaluable in helping us to meet the challenges we face in the coming years.”

Jon has held board level posts prior to being at Burton, most notably at London’s Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals where he led a major reconfiguration project.