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Camden News - EXCLUSIVE by TOM FOOT
Published: 2 October 2008

Professor David Taylor.

OUTBURST HEALTH BOSS: I QUIT

Mental health chief admits losing temper at meeting

A MENTAL health services boss has resigned after an astonishing outburst at an annual meeting during which he told a member of the public to “shut up” and described another as a “nuisance”.
Professor David Taylor, chairman of Camden and Islington Foundation Trust, blamed his behaviour at Thursday night’s meeting on being “tired” and “emotional”, due in part to a heavy workload.
The night was intended as a celebration of service users’ achievement during the previous year.
Professor Taylor later apologised and confirmed on Tuesday that he would not stay in the post beyond February when his current chairmanship is up for renewal.
Scott Stevens, who attended the meeting at a conference centre in Euston as a member of the public interested in mental health, said: “I asked a question and he stopped me and told me to ‘shut up’.
“It was out of proportion. Everybody was shocked afterwards.
“It is simply not appropriate behaviour for a chairman of any public body, let alone one that is representing service users.”
He added: “I am sympathetic if David says he is tired and emotional. But what he has done is not sympathetic to fragile service users or those, as in my case, who may be suffering from depression.”
In his written apology, Professor Taylor, who is also a senior lecturer on health policy at the School of Pharmacy, said: “I regret this discourtesy and my loss of emotional control and apologise to all those present.”
He later told the New Journal: “I am all for constructive questioning on the health debate in Camden and Islington – but there started to be some destructive questions and I lost my temper. I regret that. I hope no one is making a mountain out of a molehill. I will absolutely go on until February – I don’t think my capacity to do that is in question. Anyone who is suggesting I am incompetent is just making trouble.”
He added: “This was in part due to tiredness and the extent of my University related commitments, as well as the challenges of the extended Foundation Trust chairman’s role. I do a lot of lecturing and this job is really full time. At the moment it is three days a week and there are a lot of meetings.”
Professor Taylor, who has held the position of chairman for eight years, was head of the Trust when it was scrutinised over the care received in Camden by serial killer Anthony Hardy before he murdered three prostitutes in 2003.
He was recently awarded an “inflation-busting” 64 per cent pay rise. It took his annual fee from from £22,000 to £37,000 a year.
Trust chief executive Wendy Wallace claimed the hike was “reasonable” because of an increased workload. She said yesterday (Wednesday) Prof Taylor had been considering his position for the incident prior to the meeting due to the demands of work commitments.
Ms Wallace added: “As a Foundation Trust Chair, the actual time needed to fufill the requirements of the position are greater. Professor Taylor weighed this up in view of his other commitments and came to the personal decision that after eight years now is the time to stand down.”

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