Anger at 'witch hunt' of NHS boss

John Watkinson is on leave

Consultants have called for the government to stop a "witch hunt" of an NHS chief executive.

John Watkinson, chief executive of the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust (RCHT) is being investigated by the Trust.

It follows a report into financial management at Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust (BHT) in London, where Mr Watkinson was chief executive.

The RCHT rejected any suggestion of a witch hunt, saying "our review will be impartial and thorough".

'Orchestrated attack'

Its joint investigation with the South West Strategic Health Authority came after it was discovered that the BHT found itself with a £23m in-year deficit - £10m worse than reported, and an accumulated debt of £87m.

It said: "The joint review will be undertaken by an independent team and will consider whether issues of competence and behaviour highlighted in Bromley Hospitals have in any way occurred in Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust."

Mr Watkinson, who took up his post at the RCHT in January 2007, has been on leave since the joint investigation began.

The RCHT said the Bromley review raised no concerns about standards of patient care, and there were no concerns about the quality of patient care which continued to be provided by staff at the RCHT.

'Respected by staff'

But on Monday 13 senior medical staff at the RCHT - including 12 consultants - said in a statement that they believed Mr Watkinson "has been the subject of an apparently orchestrated attack by the South West Strategic Health Authority and the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Primary Care Trust".

The senior staff felt his stance against the removal of some cancer services to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth had "initiated manoeuvring against him".

John Watkinson had "turned round a failing Trust and is respected by staff, patients and public alike", said the staff statement.

Consultants are to ask Alan Johnson, Secretary of State for Health, to intervene.

Sheena Cox of patients' group Health Initiative Cornwall, said: "John Watkinson is not your typical 'follow the rule book' type of NHS manager.

"In the short time he has been here campaigners have realised that patient-centred care and public involvement is his watchword, indeed even the Bromley report states that he always had the 'best interest of patient care at heart'."