HEALTH Secretary Jeremy Hunt is to investigate allegations over the conduct of former hospital boss Phil Morley, MPs have told the Mail.
Hull MPs Alan Johnson, Karl Turner and Diana Johnson met Mr Hunt at the Department of Health this evening to raise concerns over Mr Morley's running of Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust.
They passed on a dossier of information relating to the treatment of senior executive Pauline Lewin, which Mr Hunt pledged to examine ahead of another meeting with the MPs in a month.
Mrs Lewin, chief of infrastructure and development, was suspended during Mr Morley's time as chief executive. She has been unable to return to her job at the trust, despite Mr Morley's departure.
Tonight, Mr Morley said he "strongly refuted" any claim of wrongdoing and said he had always exercised "zero tolerance" to bullying.
Mr Morley left his position in Hull in April but was appointed chief executive at another NHS trust in Essex just weeks later, despite reports uncovering a culture of bullying and concerns over senior management in Hull.
Tonight, Mr Johnson, MP for Hull West and Hessle and a former Health Secretary, said: "The decision to move Mr Morley to another hospital was taken at a time when not many people understood what had been going on at the trust in Hull.
"Since then, we have had the report by ACAS, the KPMG report, there have been various inspections by the Care Quality Commission and three non-executive directors have contributed to this."
Mr Morley quit Hull in April, weeks before a report by the Care Quality Commission uncovered a culture of bullying.
Conciliation service ACAS reported problems of bullying, nepotism and intimidation at Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital in Cottingham.
Although named only as the "previous CEO", Mr Morley was accused of instigating a "target-driven approach" that contributed to the bullying culture.
The Mail also discovered £50,000 was spent on Mr Morley's NHS credit card, including stays in luxury hotels and meals at fine dining restaurants throughout the East Riding.
We also revealed how audit chairman Ursula Vickerton called in external auditors after concerns over remuneration paid to senior executives and credit card statements.
Ms Johnson, MP for Hull North, said: "This issue is around accountability and why someone can walk away from a job and then, just a few months later, be in a very highly-paid job with no accountability for what has gone on before.
"This is taxpayers' money that is being spent, after all."
Mr Morley is now chief executive of the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow. Trust chairman Douglas Smallwood insists he was given the job after "full and proper recruitment and interview process including appropriate due diligence", and has praised Mr Morley for demonstrating the "qualities and strengths of a high-calibre CEO at an acute trust".
In a statement issued by Princess Alexandra Hospital, Mr Morley said: "No evidence has been found to support any claim of wrongdoing or fraudulent activity on my part and I strongly refute any such allegation.
"I have always exercised a zero-tolerance approach to bullying and was instrumental in taking the decision, proactively, to commission the ACAS report into bullying after concerns were raised by the CQC.
"I am proud of the clinical and other successes I achieved during my time as chief executive at Hull and East Yorkshire NHS Trust and have made clear my willingness to meet the Hull MPs to discuss the issues they have raised."
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