The primary complaint against GPHC Matron Collene Hicks was that she was not a team player.
Minister of Public Health, Dr George Norton speaking with Stabroek News yesterday, said that the 52 Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) employees, interviewed by the committee appointed to investigate allegations levelled against Hicks, consistently referenced a stubborn refusal on Hicks’ part to co-operate with reasonable requests.
Norton who received the committee’s report two weeks ago explained that while the full contents will not be revealed until Cabinet has examined the report he could say that the committee has noted that it is not in the best interest of GPHC for Hicks to continue as Director of Nursing Services.
He noted that while a “slew of reasons” were listed by the committee, the testimony of those interviewed kept stating that Hicks was not a team player.
“Ms. Hicks has maintained that she is executing the nurses’ mandate. I am not familiar with the term but there were two professional nurses on the committee who had an opportunity to examine her actions in relation to that mandate,” Norton said adding that all three of the individuals who served in the capacity as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) while Hicks was matron had cause to write her letters.
The committee was comprised of Chairperson Laurelle Daw, Director of Nursing Service at the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital; former GPSU General Secretary turned Attorney-at-law, Chandrawattie Persaud who was is also a trained nurse, Dr. Anwar Hussain a longstanding GPHC member of staff, Reginald Brotherson, Permanent Secretary of the Department of Public Service within the Ministry of the Presidency and former Auditor General, Anand Goolsarran.
The three CEOs who recorded their dissatisfaction with Hicks’ performance were substantive CEO Michael Khan and acting CEOs Allan Johnson and Dr Sheik Amir.
In June 2015, Khan sent Hicks a termination letter. Khan had stated at the time that Hicks had been terminated for gross insubordination following a memo requesting that Hicks state why disciplinary action should not be taken against her for failing to respond to a letter from Khan. Hicks was supposed to give a response in 48 hours but “fifteen days has passed and she still hasn’t responded to me. It’s gross insubordination,” he had said.
Stabroek News learned that Khan had sent Hicks a letter pertaining to several issues that needed to be addressed, chief among these were several staffing decisions including the relocation of nurses in various departments such as the Accident and Emergency Department without consulting or in some cases informing the CEO and board. After Hicks refused to comply with his instructions, the memo was sent to her.
The letter terminating Hicks’ services did not however mention any of this. It said only that her “contract of employment in the position of Director, Nursing services…has concluded on 15th, June 2015”. Hicks persevered, refusing to leave her post until she was sent on administrative leave to facilitate this investigation.
According to reports this investigation was instigated after 150 GPHC employees signed a petition claiming that Matron Hicks’ professional decisions were negatively affecting the care being offered patients.
In an interview with Stabroek News one week after receiving the termination letter from Khan, Hicks said that the charges of insubordination stemmed from her attempts to return professionalism and autonomy to the nursing service.
Nursing, she stressed “falls under the purview of the Director of Nursing, it is separate from Administration or Doctoring. The CEO therefore cannot dictate that staffing at the Accident and Emergency (A&E) Depart-ment be left as it is. The nursing assignments at GPHC must reflect patient needs.”
