TOP DOCTOR ESCAPES DISCIPLINARY ACTION AFTER VOICING REFORM CONCERNS
TOP DOCTOR ESCAPES DISCIPLINARY ACTION AFTER VOICING REFORM CONCERNS
Posted: February 22, 2012
NHS Cumbria bosses say the county’s top doctor has not been threatened with disciplinary action, after speaking out against the government’s controversial health reforms.
A spokesperson has told us that NHS clinicians are always free to express their opinions as individuals, but they will be meeting with Professor John Ashton to ask that he remembers that NHS organisations must always remain non-political.
Earlier this month, he and 22 other experts wrote a letter to a national newspaper criticising Health Secretary Andrew Lansley’s reforms to the NHS Health & Social Care bill.
The statement from NHS Cumbria in full, read: “NHS clinicians are always free to express their opinions as individuals and NHS Cumbria has never stood in the way of anyone expressing a personal view.
“Every senior manager in the health service has to nonetheless be mindful of expressing their views on political issues as individuals, and not on behalf of the NHS organisations for which they work. NHS organisations must always remain non-political.
“NHS Cumbria cannot comment on matters concerning individual members of staff other than to confirm that the meeting with Professor Ashton is not a disciplinary meeting but is to ensure that he is always mindful of these differences”.
