Prospect Hospice chief executive Angela Jordan resigns

Angela Jordan has been chief executive of Swindon's Prospect Hospice since 2010

The chief executive of a hospice criticised by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) over low staffing levels and bullying complaints has resigned.

Angela Jordan had held the post at Swindon's Prospect Hospice since 2010.

A spokesman for the hospice said Ms Jordan resigned for "personal reasons".

The hospice confirmed interim chief operating officer Irene Watkins would lead the charity as it tackled "ongoing challenges set for us by the CQC".

In June, the hospice was issued with a warning notice for breaching social care regulations.

It followed an unannounced inspection in February amid concerns about staff numbers and complaints.

Analysis

By Matthew Hill, BBC health correspondent

The resignations follow months of intense scrutiny by the media and the Care Quality Commission of the way Prospect House has been run.

In May the BBC revealed how a family from Wiltshire said they felt pressured into admitting their 21-year-old daughter to the hospice.

Mary Palmer had cancer and mild learning difficulties. Her mother, Catherine, claimed Mary was admitted against her will for two days towards the end of her life.

Ms Jordan defended the charity, where allegations of low staff morale and bullying also surfaced.

The director of patient services, Clare Robinson, has also resigned. She organised anti-bullying workshops which ended with some staff in tears after being asked to sign a loyalty pledge. The workshops were described by an external HR consultant as an "unmitigated disaster".

The CQC said when inspectors visited, the inpatient unit had a "high number of vacancies" and on nine occasions in January and February it was "insufficiently staffed".

It reported that staff said they felt "demotivated and humiliated".

Inspectors also said there were numerous medicine errors and not all nurses were trained in end-of-life care, which increased the risk of "unsafe treatment".

The centre, which cares for more than 2,600 patients each year, was rated good overall at its previous inspection in 2016.

Tim Willis from the hospice said the board of trustees would begin the process of recruiting a new chief executive following Ms Jordan's resignation.

He said: "As we now look to the future we are confident that, thanks to the great team of staff across the hospice as well as our valued volunteers, we will continue going from strength to strength."

A new CQC report is expected to be published in November.