NHS boss resigns ahead of 'damning' report

The chief executive of Birmingham Children's Hospital has resigned with immediate effect ahead of the publication of a report by the Healthcare Commission, which investigated the hospital after concerns were raised by its own doctors.

This week's Sunday Observer newspaper reported that the leading children's hospital is to be censured by the NHS watchdog. The Healthcare Commission will issue a highly critical report highlighting numerous failings in both quality of care and management processes.

Birmingham Children's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust chairwoman Joanna Davis confirmed that the chief Paul O'Connor has resigned and "has not been removed from his position".

The investigation, which was launched in November after the Observer obtained an internal NHS report which looked at the clinical standards at the children's hospital questioning consultants across different departments. The Observer stated the report, commissioned by the NHS Primary Care Trusts in Birmingham, found that support for surgeons undertaking kidney transplants at the hospital was poor and transplant services for children with serious liver failure were like "a third-class service [that is] putting patients at risk."

A Birmingham Children's Hospital spokeswoman said: "We can answer questions when the Healthcare Commission's report is out, but we cannot make any comments until that happens."