190,000 ducks destroyed at six Dutch farms after bird flu outbreak

Some 190,000 ducks were destroyed on Saturday at six farms in the Netherlands following an avian flu outbreak, the country’s first cull in response to an epidemic sweeping northern Europe.

Outbreaks of avian flu, primarily the highly pathogenic H5N8 strain, have been reported in Denmark, Finland, Germany and Sweden over the past week.

Dutch authorities did not say what strain of the virus had been discovered at a poultry farm in the village of Biddinghuizen, 70km (43 miles) east of Amsterdam.

The cull was implemented at four other sites owned by the same company and at a sixth farm less than a kilometre from the site of the confirmed outbreak.

Officials said they were checking for bird flu at farms within three kilometres of the original site and imposed a ban on transporting poultry products within a 10km radius.

The world’s second largest agricultural exporter, the Netherlands has more than 100 million hens, pigs, cows and sheep on high-intensity farms. The density makes the animals more vulnerable to disease outbreaks.

Since 1997, 40 million hens, cows, goats, pigs and sheep have been slaughtered to contain outbreaks including swine flu, foot-and-mouth disease and BSE.

190,000 ducks destroyed at six Dutch farms after bird flu outbreak

Ex-Southern Health boss gets £190,000 payoff for quitting advisory role

The former chief executive of a troubled mental health trust has been given a £190,000 payoff after she left her latest role.

Katrina Percy faced repeated calls to resign over Southern Health NHS foundation trust’s failure to investigate more than 1,000 unexpected deaths of patients with mental health problems and learning disabilities.

In August Percy resigned as chief executive but was moved to a role created for her by the trust with the same £240,000 salary and benefits package. She has now left that role after criticism from the public, patients and the families of those who died. It was confirmed on Friday she will receive a £190,000 settlement, the equivalent of one year’s salary.

Percy was under pressure to resign as chief executive following a series of damning reports on the trust’s failure to investigate deaths because of shortcomings on the board and by senior executives. But she was moved to a new role specially created for her.

Dr Sara Ryan, mother of 18-year-old Connor Sparrowhawk, who drowned in a bath after an epileptic seizure at Slade House in Oxfordshire in July 2013, was one of those who criticised the creation of a role for Percy.

On Friday the trust said: “Following the recent announcement that Katrina Percy will take on a regional strategic advisory role, we have received correspondence from the public, patients and families expressing their concerns. We have listened to all of this feedback and reflected.

“Both the trust and NHS Improvement believe it is no longer possible for Katrina to continue in her new advisory role. Katrina shares this view and we have worked with NHS Improvement to come to a settlement where she will leave Southern Health with immediate effect, to pursue other opportunities.

“We thank Katrina for her significant contribution to the NHS and we wish her well for the future.”

Last month the interim chair of the trust, Tim Smart, quit the organisation. He had been criticised over how the trust had continued to employ Percy.

A spokesman for NHS Improvement said there had been no legal grounds on which to dismiss Percy as chief executive and defended the payout.

“Tim Smart, as the then interim chair of the trust, received advice that there were no legal grounds upon which to dismiss her, and that doing so would open the trust and the wider NHS up to potential litigation and the very real possibility of significant costs to the taxpayer,” the spokesman said.

“He worked with Ms Percy to explore a way of her leaving her role as chief executive, but continuing to contribute to the future of patient services in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight in a very meaningful, but non-patient facing, way.

“As an adviser, Ms Percy’s strategic skills would be put to good use for a period of 12 months… we supported this. It has been clear in the weeks following the announcement – that this agreement cannot now be delivered.

“We have, therefore, worked with the trust to renegotiate for her to leave its employment immediately. Her contract with Southern Health entitles her to six months’ pay in lieu of notice. She will also be entitled to a further six months’ pay as part of the settlement. She will need to repay both of these payments if she gets a role in the NHS within the next 12 months.”

The spokesman added: “We know that this won’t please some who think she ought to have received no payment at all, and in situations like this, a perfect deal is not possible.”

Deborah Coles, director of Inquest, which has supported Sparrowhawk’s family, said: “The resignation of Katrina Percy should mark the end of Southern Health’s denial of responsibility for systemic failings and the start of vital work to protect the lives of the people in its care.”

Ex-Southern Health boss gets £190,000 payoff for quitting advisory role