New top job for NHS boss who 'gagged staff': Man With No Shame makes woman in whistleblowing storm his No. 2



Dame Barbara Hakin already earns £70,000 as an NHS managing director

She is being investigated for allegedly quashing a report into death rates

The woman accused of gagging a whistleblower who was raising concerns about patient safety has been given one of the most powerful roles in the NHS.



Dame Barbara Hakin has been made interim deputy chief executive of the new body in charge of the health service, second only to its head Sir David Nicholson.



She is said to have helped authorise a payment of £500,000 to silence the chief executive of a hospital trust where 670 patients are feared to have died needlessly.



Dame Barbara, a former GP, is also being investigated by the General Medical Council for allegedly quashing a report into high death rates at the trust, United Lincolnshire.



The move comes amid mounting concern that senior NHS managers are not being brought to book for their failings. Her promotion was almost certainly overseen by Sir David, who is himself facing growing calls to resign over his role in the Mid Staffordshire scandal.



Yesterday Gary Walker, the whistleblower allegedly gagged by Dame Barbara, said: ‘It shows a blatant disregard for public concerns.



‘It also shows the board has deep contempt for any investigations and processes that are under way.



Calls to resign: Sir David Nicholson, Chief Executive of the English National Health Service is facing strong criticism himself over the Mid Staffordshire scandal

‘She’s been under investigation for the General Medical Council for four months now for putting patients at risk. It also shows contempt for public concern over her action in gagging me.’



Mr Walker was chief executive of United Lincolnshire Hospitals until 2010 when he was sacked after warning Dame Barbara that targets were being put ahead of patients.



He was later given a £500,000 payoff on the condition he keep quiet about shocking standards at the hospital.

Last month he broke his silence to claim that Dame Barbara, then head of the regional body supervising the hospital, had ordered him to prioritise targets.



He also claimed he had warned Sir David about the hospital in 2009 but had been ignored.

The GMC has yet to decide whether Dame Barbara should face a disciplinary hearing. But next week she and Sir David will come under renewed pressure when Mr Walker gives evidence about his gagging order to MPs.

He claims he has evidence showing the pair were involved in the contract to silence him which he will show to MPs on the health select committee.



Last week when Sir David appeared before the same MPs he insisted he would ‘never sanction’ such gagging orders.



Dame Barbara, 55, currently earns £70,000 a year as the national managing director on the NHS Commissioning Board, the new body in charge of GPs and hospitals.



From next month she will take up the combined role as interim deputy chief executive as well as chief operating officer. As the promotion is only temporary, she will remain on the same salary.

