Medway NHS trust appoints Australian CEO to deliver recovery

Lesley Dwyer joins from the West Moreton Hospital and Health Service in Queensland

A former nurse and midwife from Australia has been recruited to turn around the Medway NHS trust which runs Kent's troubled Maritime Hospital.

Lesley Dwyer joins as chief executive from a Queensland hospital where she rescued a service with similar issues.

A global search was launched by Medway NHS Foundation Trust to find the right person to deliver a recovery plan.

The trust was put into "special measures" in July 2013 after strong concerns about standards of care.

It is hoped Ms Dwyer will begin her work as chief executive of the trust by the summer.

'Significant parallels'

An unannounced inspection of Medway Maritime hospital in December said it remained inadequate despite some improvement.

The Care Quality Commission said there was "still a long way to go" before the required standard was met in the A&E and theatre departments.

Medway NHS Foundation Trust Chair Shena Winning said of the new appointment: "This is crucial to the delivery of our plan that Medway will become a stable, sustainable and significant provider of care in Kent over the next five years, delivering the high quality of care the people of Medway deserve.

"There are significant parallels between the hospital Lesley is currently at and Medway.

"She took over West Moreton as a failing hospital and quickly turned it around financially and operationally and it is now a sustainable, thriving service."