Two governors suspended as Morecambe Bay hospitals trust investigates complaints about behaviour

University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust (UHMBT) said it is carrying out an investigation after “numerous complaints” about their behaviour.

It has been suggested the governors were suspended having asked questions about former UHMBT consultant Peter Duffy, who resigned after blowing the whistle on issues in the urology department.

Mr Duffy was later the subject of an investigation by the health watchdog after allegedly falsified emails that implicated him in the death of a patient came to loght.

The emails, supposedly sent by him, implied he had been negligent when treating the patient and misled a coroner in the subsequent inquest.

Mr Duffy quit the medical profession earlier this year, saying he had feared the emails would lead to him being struck off and potentially facing criminal charges.

The General Medical Council recently dropped the case after a two-year investigation.

However, Computer Weekly has reported that the trust has denied the governors' suspensions were related to concerns about Mr Duffy's case, saying it was “inaccurate and wrong” to suggest “the decision to suspend two public governors was directly related to any single incident and specifically concerns raised around emails found during the independent investigation into the ttrust’s urology services."

The hospital trust's elected Council of Governors provide a 'vital link between the communities and groups they serve and the trust board'.

Their role also includes deciding the terms of office of the trust chair and approving the appointment of the chief executive.

Trust chair Mike Thomas said: “Following numerous complaints from members of our Council of Governors about the behaviour of two of our public governors, and a request to act, we have suspended the two public governors from their duties in accordance with our Foundation Trust Constitution.

“An independent investigation will now take place into the conduct and behaviours of the two public governors.

"Once completed, the report will be presented to the Council of Governors to decide as to whether there is a case to answer that requires any further action.”

Another member of the trust's council of governors, Sue Allison, resigned earlier this year amid concerns about Mr Duffy's case, claiming there was a 'bullying' culture within the trust's hospitals.

The former radiographer had previously acted as a whistleblower in raising concerns about missed cancer diagnoses and poor standards of care at the trust.