A VOTE of no confidence in hospital bosses by doctors across the county has been condemned as divisive and demoralising.

Outgoing chairman of Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust Harold Musgrove has said the move by the medical staff committee to hold the vote was misguided, given the amount of work which was being done to improve standards.

The committee, made up of hospital consultants from Worcester, Kidderminster and Redditch, held the secret vote on Thursday, and said "significant changes" had to be made before members would be satisfied.

It also announced 86 per cent of members had no confidence in Worcestershire Health Authority.

"I can understand some of the concerns of the consultants who have been, and are, faced with changes which impact on them personally," said Mr Musgrove.

"But we were extremely disappointed some members of the medical staff committee, whose interests are very well represented on the Trust Board, chose to press ahead with this divisive and demoralising secret vote without making any attempt to speak to us about their concerns."

In a statement, members of the medical staff committee accused the Trust Board of implementing an excessively complicated and ineffective organisational structure, and a bullying management culture.

They also criticised the premature downgrading of Kidderminster hospital.

"The Trust Board has taken three hospitals in Kidderminster, Redditch and Worcester which previously worked in a reasonably effective way for their communities and has diminished the quality of patients' experience of hospital care, dramatically reduced staff morale and slowed progress and innovation in healthcare," said Dr Clive Studd, chairman of the committee.

"The consultants wish to see significant changes to the Trust Board and failing the resignation of these individuals, will ask the new Trust chairman when appointed to implement these changes to the Trust Board without delay."