{"id":283230,"date":"2025-11-25T22:00:07","date_gmt":"2025-11-25T22:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/283230\/"},"modified":"2025-11-25T22:00:07","modified_gmt":"2025-11-25T22:00:07","slug":"nhs-fife-boss-says-retirement-not-linked-to-sandie-peggie-case","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/283230\/","title":{"rendered":"NHS Fife boss says retirement not linked to Sandie Peggie case"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n Her decision comes ahead of the expected judgment in the Sandie Peggie<\/a> employment tribunal, though Ms Potter insisted the two were not connected \u2013 and that she had carefully timed when she would quit.\n<\/p>\n

\n With six months notice required, announcing her decision meant she would leave in the summer, rather than the winter.\n<\/p>\n

\n She addressed members of the health board on Tuesday where it was confirmed that the search for her replacement has already started.\n<\/p>\n

\n Sandie Peggie has taken her employer to tribunal (Image: (Andrew Milligan\/PA))\n<\/p>\n

\n Ms Potter said the announcement made earlier this month came after \u201ca lot of careful consideration\u201d with her family.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cThis is my choice \u2013 I am aware of a lot of speculation surrounding it,\u201d she said. \u201cIt is my choice. Given the fact I need to give at least six months\u2019 notice, the timing was always going to be difficult.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cRetiring in the summer feels a lot nicer than retiring in the winter.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cI started my NHS career on this site (at the Victoria Hospital) in the very building right next to me as a graduate management trainee. Nearly 35 years of public service and six and a half years as chief executive, the time feels right.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n Confirming she will be working until next summer, she said it was business as usual until then.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cWe are about to go into December. My priority is to maintain organisational stability ahead of the operational pressures of winter,\u201d she added.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cMy commitment remains focused and strong. I want to maintain stability and confidence. I will continue to celebrate the achievements of our incredible staff.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cI am quite overwhelmed by the kind messages from staff and colleagues in the organisation and also our partners from a range of sectors and am now focusing on the job in hand.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n NHS Fife chairperson Pat Kilpatrick confirmed the process had already started to recruit a new chief executive.\n<\/p>\n

\n She added: \u201cCarol has announced her intention to take early retirement following a long and distinguished career spanning more than 30 years.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cShe took up the interim post (of chief executive) in January 2020 and was formally appointed in September 2020.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cShe will step down in summer 2026.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n Dr Beth Upton arrives at the Tribunal surrounded by supporters. (Image: PA)\n<\/p>\n

\n Before taking up the post, Ms Potter held senior financial leadership posts in NHS Fife and across NHS Forth Valley, NHS Lanarkshire and NHS Lothian.\n<\/p>\n

\n Over her tenure as chief executive, she steered NHS Fife through the Covid-19 pandemic however attracted criticism in recent months over the board\u2019s handling of the Sandie Peggie tribunal.\n<\/p>\n

\n Read More:\n<\/p>\n

\n Ms Peggie was suspended after she complained about having to share a changing room with transgender medic Dr Beth Upton<\/a> at Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy<\/a>, on Christmas Eve 2023.\n<\/p>\n

\n She was placed on special leave after Dr Upton made an allegation of bullying and harassment and cited concerns about \u201cpatient care\u201d.\n<\/p>\n

\n Ms Peggie has lodged a claim against NHS Fife<\/a> and Dr Upton, citing the Equality Act 2010, including sexual harassment; harassment related to a protected belief; indirect discrimination; and victimisation.\n<\/p>\n

\n A decision on the case is expected before the end of the year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Her decision comes ahead of the expected judgment in the Sandie Peggie employment tribunal, though Ms Potter insisted…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":283231,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[102,2960,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-283230","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-healthcare","8":"tag-health","9":"tag-healthcare","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom","12":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/283230","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=283230"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/283230\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/283231"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=283230"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=283230"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=283230"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}