Inquiry call over Blair hospital

Mr Milburn has dismissed claims he intervened

The head of the civil service has been urged to carry out an urgent inquiry into the way a hospital in Prime Minister Tony Blair's Sedgefield constituency was awarded a top three-star rating.

South Durham Hospital Trust was upgraded from two to three stars shortly before the ratings were published last year, after an aide to then Health Secretary Alan Milburn e-mailed officials querying its score.

Mr Milburn dismissed the allegation that he had intervened to ensure the trust - which also serves his constituency of Darlington - secured a better ranking as "absolute tosh".

Opposition MPs say the upgrading gave South Durham access to an extra £1m in funding.

Conservative chairman Liam Fox has now written to Cabinet Secretary Sir Andrew Turnbull to ask him to look into the issue, which he said was causing "enormous concern".

In his letter, Dr Fox said: "There is an urgent need to clarify this matter, and the extent of ministerial interference and knowledge, if we are to prevent a widespread corruption of the professional basis of the NHS.

'Particular concern'

"There is also a need to prevent a worsening of the already damaged morale of those who work so hard to maintain the professional independence within the NHS.

"I would be grateful if you could investigate this issue urgently and let me have your response before Christmas."

The allegations that South Durham NHS Trust was upgraded, originally appeared in the Health Service Journal (HSJ).

The HSJ printed an e-mail from Giles Wilmore, the head of the performance development unit at the Department of Health, to Mr Milburn written shortly before the announcement of the 2002 tables.

It warned that there were "still a few high-profile trusts which we might have expected to be three star which are not".

The HSJ reported that days later an aide to Mr Milburn replied saying: "The secretary of state would also identify South Durham as a high-profile trust given it serves the prime minister's constituency."