E-mail to Sir Nigel Crisp
From: Ian Perkin
Sent: 31 March 2003 14:45
To: nigel.crisp@doh.gsi.gov.uk
Cc: Sarah Barclay-Panorama; David.McNeil@doh.gsi.gov.uk;
john.bacon@doh.gsi.gov.uk; charles.miranda@standard.co.uk;
joseph.mchugh@publicfinance.co.uk; sarah.hall@guardian.co.uk;
Liesbeth_Evers@vnu.co.uk; Ð; Jo.Revill@guardian.co.uk;
kurt.barling@bbc.co.uk
Subject: Re: St George's Healthcare NHS Trust - PRINTED
Dear Sir Nigel,
I write to you in repsonse to your letter dated 27th March 2003 which I
received this morning.
I am sorry that your do not agree with my view that it is inappropriate of
you not to investigate the matters that I have already brought to your
attention and that of John Bacon and also Richard Douglas. I find it
interesting to note that you think it would "muddy the waters" to
investigate the wrong doing at St George's that I have already brought to
your attention. Clearly by using this phrase you confirm that your legal
advice accords with mine that matters being heard at Employment Tribunal are
not sub-judice and an investigation properly conducted would in no way
interfere with the conclusions that the Employment Tribunal might come to
after hearing the detailed evidence that I will be submitting at the
hearing. The role for instance played by John Parkes, who the NHS continues
to employ as a Chief Executive at another NHS Trust, is not a matter I
expect the Employment Tribunal to cover in any great detail, it is a matter
that should clearly be of concern to you in your role of Chief Executive of
the NHS and one that you should want to clearly investigate, the fact that
you choose not to I think says a lot about the "Culture of Silent Pressure",
that has thrived under your leadership of the NHS. I am saddend but not
surprised at the stance that you take. The report that was undertaken into
the problems that occurred at the John Radcliffe at Oxford a few years ago,
made it clear that at atmosphere of cronyism had been been created there
over a period of about ten years and of course what many people do not
realise is that you were Chief Executive for much of that time, while that
unhealthy culture developed and was ultimately only exposed by the courage
of an employee to "whistleblow".
You ask me to let you have further nformation on wrong doing within the NHS,
yet what assurance do I have from you that you would act upon it, if I
supply it? I have already asked John Bacon to explain to me how Ahmed
Tomadj can be employed as the Director of Estates at Kings Healthcare NHS
Trust, when his emploment was terminated at St George's only a few years ago
as a direct result of an Internal Audit report that I produced which showed
wrong doing in a variety of areas, but have not received a reply to this
very specific point. If you wish to investigate the matter further I am
sure St George's Healthcare will furnish you with a copy of my audit report,
but if they will not I can make arrangements to supply you with a copy
myself. As the further documentary information I can supply to you relates
to information that came from John Bacon's staff, what assurances can you
give me that it will be properly investigated and that the appropriate
action will be taken against individuals who have acted inappropriately?
I also find it interesting that you suggest that I appear to have missed the
key point of your letter which is that, "NHS Trust's are employing bodies in
their own right and are legally empowered to make, and are responsible for,
decisions taken on staff and employment issues. Whether or not the Trust
chooses to recruit a particular employee or terminate the employment of an
employee, is their own decision and resposibility. It is not something with
which I am empowered to interfere". If this is truely the case may I ask
you how you expect to make good your promise to the House of Commons Public
Accounts Committee that you will introduce a zero-tolerance approach to
managers who fiddle waiting lists, as according to your letter to me you are
not empowered to interfere in the employment decisions of individual NHS
Trust's and have also shown in your response to me that you are not prepared
to investigate clear breaches of the NHS Managers Code of Conduct. If you
have no power to interfere in any employment decisions how can you give an
assurance to Members of Parliament that the current situation, which you
acknowledged exists, will be ended.
Your comment that it would be possible for me to have pursued my case
without financial resources I find extraordinary. Any sensible person
realises that to finance a case against the biggest employer in Western
Europe, who has in practical terms unlimited access to legal resources, is
an extemely costly undertaking and for you to suggest that I should have to
abandon my resources to the point where I would qualify for financial
assistance is either a naive or disengenuous comment. Again I believe it
demonstrates clearly that you approach to whistleblowers is that they are on
their own.
The fact of the matter is that I will win my case at Employment Tribunal and
will demonstrate clearly that there has been wrong doing at St George's and
I will make it clear that the help that I recived from you and your senior
colleagues was non-existent and that despite the fact that I sent you
documentary evidence about that wrong doing, that you John Bacon and Richard
Douglas all chose to do nothing.
Yours sincerely
Ian Perkin