Trust guilty of fiddling figures on cancellations but is cleared of accounting faults
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《英国医生杂志》
An independent investigation has upheld allegations that a major London NHS trust fiddled figures on cancelled operations and inappropriately charged hospitality expenses to the public purse.
But the investigation, which also charged the trust抯 board with 搘eak corporate oversight,?has cleared St George抯 Healthcare NHS Trust of alleged manipulation of outpatient waiting list figures and various accounting improprieties.
Michael Taylor, who led the investigation, was nominated by the NHS Confederation at the request of the Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland Strategic Health Authority.
The authority had been asked by the South West London Strategic Health Authority to look into six malpractice allegations brought by the trust抯 former finance director Ian Perkin.
Mr Perkin, who was appointed finance director at St George抯 Healthcare NHS Trust in 1993, was sacked from his post in December 2002, after suspension from duties and an internal disciplinary hearing (BMJ 2004;328:310).
The investigation, which included oral and written evidence from 46 NHS employees in addition to advice from an expert reference group, criticised him for a 損urist and inflexible approach that was out of line with conventional practice across the NHS?and 搊bsessive managerial behaviour.?/p>
It found no evidence to support the allegation that during his tenure the then deputy chief executive and director of operations of the trust, John Parkes, had colluded with the former London Regional Office of the Department of Health to fiddle outpatient waiting list figures for December 2000. But it upheld the allegation of 揹eliberate and improper alteration?by Mr Parkes of data on cancelled operations, covering the three weeks from 24 September 2001.
The failure of the trust抯 board to deal with deteriorating relations among the senior management had been a contributory factor, Mr Taylor concluded.
He also highlighted confusion over what was meant by cancelled operations梒onfusion that had arisen as a result of the tension between political and consumer aspirations, he said. 揑 am advised that national clarity on this aspect of patient activity management is still required,?he wrote in his report, recommending that the Department of Health be asked for clarification.
The report also takes the trust to task for failing to investigate serious allegations, after an internal audit, against the former director of estates, who subsequently resigned in February 1997. It recommends that the allegations be investigated by the NHS Counter Fraud Service.
Although the report found that former chief executive Ian Hamilton had inappropriately charged ?40.25 of hospitality to the trust in November 1999, it refuted the allegation that this was indicative of a corrupt culture during his tenure.
Peter Homa, the trust抯 current chief executive, said in a statement: 揝t George抯 has come a long way since the events and allegations it describes,?adding that it was now time for all those involved to move on.(London Caroline White)
But the investigation, which also charged the trust抯 board with 搘eak corporate oversight,?has cleared St George抯 Healthcare NHS Trust of alleged manipulation of outpatient waiting list figures and various accounting improprieties.
Michael Taylor, who led the investigation, was nominated by the NHS Confederation at the request of the Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland Strategic Health Authority.
The authority had been asked by the South West London Strategic Health Authority to look into six malpractice allegations brought by the trust抯 former finance director Ian Perkin.
Mr Perkin, who was appointed finance director at St George抯 Healthcare NHS Trust in 1993, was sacked from his post in December 2002, after suspension from duties and an internal disciplinary hearing (BMJ 2004;328:310).
The investigation, which included oral and written evidence from 46 NHS employees in addition to advice from an expert reference group, criticised him for a 損urist and inflexible approach that was out of line with conventional practice across the NHS?and 搊bsessive managerial behaviour.?/p>
It found no evidence to support the allegation that during his tenure the then deputy chief executive and director of operations of the trust, John Parkes, had colluded with the former London Regional Office of the Department of Health to fiddle outpatient waiting list figures for December 2000. But it upheld the allegation of 揹eliberate and improper alteration?by Mr Parkes of data on cancelled operations, covering the three weeks from 24 September 2001.
The failure of the trust抯 board to deal with deteriorating relations among the senior management had been a contributory factor, Mr Taylor concluded.
He also highlighted confusion over what was meant by cancelled operations梒onfusion that had arisen as a result of the tension between political and consumer aspirations, he said. 揑 am advised that national clarity on this aspect of patient activity management is still required,?he wrote in his report, recommending that the Department of Health be asked for clarification.
The report also takes the trust to task for failing to investigate serious allegations, after an internal audit, against the former director of estates, who subsequently resigned in February 1997. It recommends that the allegations be investigated by the NHS Counter Fraud Service.
Although the report found that former chief executive Ian Hamilton had inappropriately charged ?40.25 of hospitality to the trust in November 1999, it refuted the allegation that this was indicative of a corrupt culture during his tenure.
Peter Homa, the trust抯 current chief executive, said in a statement: 揝t George抯 has come a long way since the events and allegations it describes,?adding that it was now time for all those involved to move on.(London Caroline White)