NHS exec quits over husband’s ‘irregular’ IT projects
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Deputy CEO of NHS Trust steps down after husband, the associate IT director at a local hospital, is sacked over “irregular” IT spend totalling £600k
The deputy CEO of an NHS Trust in Surrey has quit her post after it emerged that her husband, the associate informatics director at a local hospital, was fired over “irregular” spending on IT projects.
Peter Lewis, associate informatics director at Royal Surrey County Hospital, was dismissed in December for gross misconduct following “irregular” IT-related financial transactions at the hospital.
Last week, the CEO of the Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust Nick Moberly revealed that Lewis had breached “the Trust’s standards of business conduct policy and our standing financial instructions.
“This concerns, in total, approximately £600,000 worth of spend within informatics”, Moberly said in a statement. “This level of spend includes £200,000 of unbudgeted spend on one IT project and £400,000 relating to projects which have been placed on hold pending further review.”
Surrey Police are investigating allegations of fraud at the hospital. According to Moberly, the allegations came from outside the Trust.
Yesterday, Susan Lewis, the Trust’s chief operating officer and deputy CEO announced her resignation.
"During the investigation which led to the disciplinary of Peter Lewis, evidence of irregular financial transactions emerged which the Trust felt obliged to forward to the police,” said the trust’s chairman Peter Dunt in a statement.
“These findings, and Peter Lewis’ dismissal from the Trust in December, have been very difficult for the Trust and undoubtedly had an impact on Sue Lewis as both his wife and our chief operating officer and deputy chief executive.”
“As a result, she has been evaluating her position at the Trust and has decided that the right course of action is to offer her resignation, which the Board fully understands and has accepted.”
