March 21, 2013 4.20 pm
This story is over 102 months old
Health Minister Poulter in Lincoln: ‘Gagging clauses are completely unacceptable’
Brief visit: Health Minister Dr Dan Poulter visited Lincoln County Hospital and spoke about the high mortality rates investigation and gagging former health executives.
Health Minister Dr Dan Poulter with Linda Higginbottom, Deputy Director for Patient Services at ULHT, and Lincoln MP Karl McCartney
Health Minister Dr Dan Poulter visited Lincoln County Hospital on Thursday and spoke about the United Lincolnshire Hospital Trust’s part in the high mortality rates investigation and condemned gagging former health executives.
ULHT is one of 14 trusts in the country that are being investigated for higher than expected mortality rates, and the Health Minister said the review will be concluded by the summer.
Speaking to The Lincolnite, Dr Dan Poulter said: “There are a few things I have picked up on today that I will feed into those investigations.
“Sir Bruce Keogh, the NHS Medical Director who’s taking on board those investigations, is going to 14 trusts, [ULHT] being one of those trusts. It’s about looking at what factors there may be that caused the higher than expected mortality ratios, and there may well be factors there that were well out of the hospitals’ control.
“For example, what are local palliative care facilities like, are people getting the support in the community that they need when they are coming towards the end of their life, and if not, they are having to come and die in hospital, then that drives mortality ratios. That review is going to be ongoing and will conclude by the summer.”
Earlier this week, former ULHT CEO and whistleblower Gary Walker and former trust chairman David Bowles gave evidence as part of the Mid Staffs NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry by the Health Select Committee.
Gary Walker and David Bowles described to the panel their time at ULHT, and the problems the trust faced, particularly in 2008, explaining how he was intimidated into leaving his post, and that he agreed to a gagging order compensation worth £225,000.
“As a government we make it very clear that gagging clauses are completely unacceptable,” said Health Minister Dr Dan Poulter.
“Of course you’re sometimes going to have to have confidentiality clauses where there are issues of commercial sensitivity or patient data, but it’s never acceptable to try to gag staff from speaking out on issues about patient care. We’ve made that very clear as a government, a number of the issues happened in the previous government, but our line is [gagging orders] are completely unacceptable.”
Lincoln MP Karl McCartney accompanied the Health Minister on Thursday on his visit in Lincoln, as part of a tour of several hospitals in the East Midlands, including Newark and Grantham.
Karl McCartney said: “When we look at what’s been happening with Gary Walker, and when he spoke at the Health Select Committee, along with David Bowles, I think there’s real serious issues that need to be addressed that haven’t.
“I wrote to the chairman of the Health Select Committee and I listed a number of people I felt should be invited to talk to the committee — and that involves the previous health ministers who I think will have overseen what happened to Gary Walker — who have some serious questions to answer.
“As someone elected to represent my constituents, it’s something that concerns me and I want to know what’s being to make things better, and also who’s going to be disciplined to make sure they don’t make the same mistakes they have potentially made previously. I think that goes across the whole spectrum of different issues, not just in the health service,” Karl McCartney added.
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The Lincolnite welcomes your views. All comments are reactively-moderated and must obey the house rules. Please stay on topic and be respectful of other readers.
The man who organised the flight which cost footballer Emiliano Sala and Lincolnshire Pilot David Ibbotson their lives has been found guilty of endangering the safety of an aircraft.
David Henderson, 67, of Hotham, East Riding of Yorkshire was found guilty by a majority verdict after a trial at Cardiff Crown Court. He also previously admitted trying to arrange the flight for a passenger without permission or authorisation.
Henderson will be sentenced on November 12.
Argentine striker Sala, 28, was involved in a £15 million transfer to Cardiff City from Nantes. He was travelling between the two cities at the time of his death, when the single-engine Piper Malibu plunged into the English Channel.
Ibbotson, 59, also died in the crash in the English Channel in January 2019, although his body was never found.
The flight was set up by Henderson with football agent William “Willie” McKay.
Prosecutors previously said that Henderson acted “recklessly and dangerously” to arrange the flight, while Ibbotson was unqualified to fly the plane. Despite this, Henderson asked him to fly Sala over to Cardiff to complete his transfer to The Bluebirds.
The court also previously heard that in the immediate aftermath of the plane’s disappearance, Henderson text a colleague saying: “Malibu gone missing on way back from France…. Don’t say a word to anyone.”
He also reportedly messaged a colleague saying: “Ibbo has crashed the Malibu and killed himself and VIP pax (passenger). Bloody disaster. There will be an enquiry.”
A 55-year-old man has been arrested after two people were injured in an alleged domestic assault incident in Grantham.
Police were called to reports of an assault involving three people at a property on Manchester Way in Grantham at 9.51pm on Wednesday, October 27.
A woman in her 50s was seriously injured in the incident and a man in his 20s suffered minor injuries.
The 55-year-old man who was arrested near to the scene in connection with the incident remains in custody, where he is helping officers with their enquiries.
The force said they are not looking for anyone else in connection to this incident, but a police presence will remain in the area for the rest of Thursday, October 28 while officers carry out enquiries.
Anyone with information should contact police on 101 or via email at [email protected] quoting incident 424 of October 27.
Alternatively, it can be reported through the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online here.
Plans to build 600 new homes and a medical centre in Spilsby are up for approval next Thursday.
East Lindsey District Council’s Planning committee will be recommended to approve Gin Property’s proposals for Halton and Ashby Roads.
The outline application said the site include a new “Chapter Village” of around 200 homes for over 55s, 25 homes classed as “affordable”, rent to buy properties and living accommodation for older people alongside 200 open market houses.
A report before councillors said the development of the site was “important for enabling delivery of a much needed new doctors surgery in the town”.
They said the principle of the development was considered acceptable and there were no technical obstacles to the development.
“This application has been submitted in part as an enabler for the delivery of the new surgery facility.
“It is also relevant to note that the business plan for the delivery of the surgery, as approved by the NHS, relies substantially on the provision of a serviced site that would be enabled by the grant of planning permission for the delivery of housing on this allocated site.”
Spilsby Town Council and Hundleby Parish Council have supported the proposals for encouraging new infrastructure and amenities as well as promoting growth and business investment. However, they have raised some concerns.
Fenside Parish Council, along with a number residents, have objected due to concerns including the size of the development, the impact on local roads, schools and leisure facilities and increases in drainage and pollution issues.
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