Written question asked by Liam Fox (Conservative) on Thursday, 10 January 2002, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 22 January 2002. It was answered by Lord Hutton of Furness (Labour) on Tuesday, 22 January 2002 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Dept of Health

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many trust managers have been dismissed on grounds of gross misconduct after manipulating waiting list figures.

Answer: Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many trust managers have been dismissed on grounds of gross misconduct after manipulating waiting list figures. [27255] Mr. Hutton: The National Audit Office report "Inappropriate adjustments to national health service waiting lists" listed nine trusts where inappropriate adjustments had taken place. In two of these trusts, Salford and Stoke Mandeville, the investigations have reached the disciplinary stage. There have been no trust managers dismissed on grounds of gross misconduct in the other seven cases. The Department accepts that some of the earlier cases covered in the report were not always handled properly and it accepts in full the recommendations set out the NAO report. In future, any manager found to have deliberately distorted waiting figures will face dismissal on grounds of gross misconduct. This will be supported by a new code of conduct for national health service managers. Anyone who breaches that code of conduct will not be re-employed as a manager--anywhere in the national health service.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 378 c749W;378 c745W; 27255
Session: 2001-02
Subjects: Disciplinary proceedings Hospitals Dismissal Misconduct NHS Managers NHS trusts Waiting lists
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk