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'He has to go': Whistleblowers demand resignation of New Cross Hospital boss

Whistleblowers today demanded the boss of New Cross Hospital resign after a damning report into the way he treated a staff member who made allegations over death rates and fraud.

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David Loughton, who runs the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, was found to be 'dismissive' of the allegations by Staffordshire whistleblower Sandra Haynes-Kirkbright and had tried to 'kick them into the long grass' ahead of a key visit by a health watchdog.

The £200,000-a-year boss told the author of the investigation report that 'no-one cares' about allegations of fraud and that some people would say 'good on you' for 'fiddling' figures to get more money for the Trust. Today three senior doctors said Mr Loughton's position had become untenable.

Sandra Haynes-Kirkbright, who raised concerns about the trust that runs New Cross Hospital, right

Dr David Drew, a whistleblower sacked from Walsall Manor Hospital, said the report demonstrated how those who raise concerns in the NHS are treated.

He said: "David Loughton has to be finished. He has to go. I cannot see how his position is remotely tenable after what has been revealed."

Professor David Ferry, who revealed that at least 55 cancer patients at New Cross were given extra chemotherapy treatment they did not need between 2005 and 2010, and was subsequently outed by New Cross after wanting to remain anonymous, said: "His behaviour cannot be tolerated. He has a track record of burying his head in the sand when it comes to serious concerns being raised. Despite what happened at Mid Staffs he is not learning his lessons. He cares more about reputational management than anything else. He has to resign or be sacked."

And Dr Raj Mattu, a leading heart surgeon who was suspended by Mr Loughton while chief executive at Coventry Walsgrave Hospital after he exposed how two patients died in overcrowded bays, said: "It is time for Mr Loughton to be held to account and investigated fully. This man is not fit to hold senior public office."

Dr Mattu was awarded £1.2 million in damages after being wrongly accused of fraud, sexual impropriety and assault in a case that is believed to have cost the NHS more than £10m.

Mrs Haynes-Kirkbright, who has been suspended from her £55,000 role as a coder since 2012, alleged the trust had fraudulently made money by charging for treatments it had not performed. The 52-year-old from Stafford also raised concerns that death rates were being made to look better than they were because they were wrongly registered.

Mr Loughton told investigators: "No one cares. If I'm fiddling money and stuff like that, it wouldn't even get printed. Some people would probably give me a pat on the back and say: 'If you are fiddling to try and get more money for the hospital, good on you'."

He added: "These people that whistle-blow, whatever, they don't really do that much reputational damage. They don't... because that doesn't sell many newspapers."

The report included a comment by former HR director Denise Harnin who said: "Basically David's instruction was kick this into the long grass, which is one of his infamous sayings, which puts some distance there, and get her out of the way."

Mr Loughton has been a NHS chief executive for 27 years. In 2010 he was appointed CBE for services to healthcare. He has declined to comment but a statement from the trust's board of directors described him as an 'excellent' chief executive.

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