Worcestershire Royal Hospital boss off sick since April

Worcestershire Royal Hospital's A&E department was under severe pressure in April

The head of the NHS trust where a "disaster doctor" was called in to assist its under-pressure A&E department has been on sick leave since April.

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust chief executive Penny Venables has been unable to work since 13 April, three days after the Medical Incident Officer (MIO) was called in.

An acting CEO has been appointed.

The trust was unable to provide further details of Mrs Venables' illness.

This is the latest in a series of upsets for the organisation, which also runs Kidderminster Hospital and Redditch's Alexandra Hospital.

In an "unprecedented" move in April, West Midlands Ambulance Service sent the MIO to Worcestershire Royal Hospital following delays in treatment.

Patients were queuing in the corridor and being looked after in ambulances rather than being admitted to the emergency unit.

In February, the entire consultant team running A&E services at the Alexandra resigned amid claims of a "bullying culture" and a breakdown of the relationship between medical staff and management.