7 hours Ago By [email protected] (Carmelo Garcia)
Two outgoing health bosses in Gloucestershire have been praised and given flowers as one moves to a new top job while the other retires. Mary Hutton and Ellen Rule, the chief executive officer and deputy at Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board, presented their last reports to councillors at Shire Hall today (March 11). Ms Hutton, who has worked for the NHS for 36 years, is retiring this spring after 14 years working in the county.
And Ms Rule, who has worked for the NHS since 2003 and held a variety of senior jobs, has landed the chief executive role at and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust. The pair who have probably faced their fair share of probing questions from the former taxman and health overview and scrutiny chairman (C, Abbey) were thanked for all their work. The Conservative councillor said it would have be remiss of him not to refer to them in what was their last meeting.
He praised them for going the extra mile. “Congratulations Ellen on your appointment as chief,” he said. “Thank you for everything you do and always answering our questions no matter how difficult you might think they are and so courteously and effectively and always treating this committee with the utmost respect.
“If you are annoyed and irritated by some of our questions, maybe even some of mine, you never show it. Thank you so much for that and we want to wish you all success in Herefordshire and Worcestershire.” He thanked Ms Hutton for her work and spoke of how they had been through major challenges over the years such as the "Andrew Lansley reforms of the NHS and Covid".
“I appreciate that sometimes I get impatient for an answer, both of you are very courteous and very polite in how you work with us,” he said. "I always know when Mary is a little bit annoyed with me. “I take it you’re not a poker player because I sit here and although I don’t have my long distance glasses, I can tell that you’re not too chuffed! “But Mary thank you, you encapsulate why we both get on.
Both of you have a really sound commitment to the NHS, the people we all serve as councillors and both of you have a strong sense of humour.” He said he could not let the occasion go unmarked and presented the two with flowers to plant in their gardens..
