Published at 16:25, Wednesday, 20 February 2013

THE fight for answers over the use of confidentiality contracts in the health service has been taken to the government.

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Barrow and Furness MP, John Woodcock, and Westmorland and Lonsdale MP, Tim Farron, have demanded answers from those in power as to why people should be left in the dark over deals struck with former NHS bosses.

The Evening Mail last month revealed details of its year-long battle to discover the details behind Tony Halsall’s departure from the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Furness General Hospital.

A confidential compromise agreement between UHMBT and its former chief executive means the trust is legally unable to reveal whether Mr Halsall worked his six months’ notice period, and was paid for it. He had a salary band of £135,000 to £140,000.

Following the newspaper’s coverage, Mr Woodcock questioned health secretary Jeremy Hunt over how often similar contracts were signed.

He also asked what guidance the government gave health trusts over the use of such agreements.

Responding, health minister Daniel Poulter, said: “The department wrote to NHS trusts most recently in January 2012 reminding them that compromise agreements should not seek to prevent information being disclosed in the public interest and to ask that they satisfy themselves that their organisational policies are in line with previously issued guidance.”

Dr Poulter also said the treasury’s permission must be sought by foundation trusts who want to make non-contractual severance payments.

However, UHMBT has made it clear that Mr Halsall received no extra ‘pay-off’ last February.

UHMBT interim chairman, Sir David Henshaw said: “All appropriate authorisations required by the trust in relation to Mr Halsall were secured.

“For the avoidance of doubt I repeat again that there was no question of Mr Halsall receiving any payments beyond his contractual entitlement.”

Sir David had previously pointed out confidential compromise agreements are commonplace in the public and private sector.

But Mr Woodcock, who has demanded answers as to whether health ministers were involved in the trust’s dealings with Mr Halsall, said: “Either way, the current system is not working in the interests of taxpayers who fund the NHS and rightly demand transparency on how their money is spent.”

His view is shared by Mr Farron, who has written to the health secretary, asking him to write to every NHS trust in the country to discourage the use of secret compromise agreements.

Mr Farron said: “I have asked him to outlaw these confidentially deals. These schemes must end.”

Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk