Published at 16:35, Tuesday, 05 March 2013

A PROMISE by the prime minister to investigate the financial agreement between the organisation responsible for Furness General Hospital and its former chief executive must be upheld, Barrow’s MP has said.

John Woodcock MP, who represents Barrow and Furness, challenged David Cameron over the use of confidential compromise agreements during Prime Minister’s Questions. A confidential compromise agreement between the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust and former boss, Tony Halsall, means the trust is legally unable to answer questions relating to the remuneration package agreed when he left, after stepping down in February 2011.

After this was revealed by the Evening Mail, Mr Woodcock questioned health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, over the use of such agreements. He was told the treasury’s permission must be sought by trusts which want to make non-contractual severance payments.

In response, UHMBT’s then-interim chairman, Sir David Henshaw, said “all appropriate authorisations” required in relation to Mr Halsall had been secured.

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

But Mr Woodcock has taken the issue back to parliament for further scrutiny.

During PMQs, he claimed the treasury would have been required to approve the settlement and asked why the government had allowed the details to be kept secret.

Responding, the prime minister said: “I will look very closely at the case the honourable gentleman raises. I know there have been particular issues around foundation trusts in the area he represents, and I will make sure that the health secretary looks into the matter and writes to him about it.”

Of Mr Cameron’s promise, Mr Woodcock said: “I am glad the prime minister pledged to look closely at the issue because he has serious questions to answer.

“Local residents pay for the NHS through their taxes and they deserve to know how their money is being spent.

“The public will take a dim view of a government that preaches openness but sanctions secret deals with public money.”

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