NHS veteran was ‘pushed out’ over hospital sex-ring scandal, say staff

THE NHS’s longest-serving chief executive has been “pushed out” of his job after he suspended senior consultants who used hospital premises to have sex, according to staff.

Sir Leonard Fenwick, Newcastle and Tyne Hospital Trust’s chief executive, was put on “extended leave” in January, a decision that angered some staff and governors.

Sir Leonard, 69, who has been at the helm of hospitals in the North East for 40 years, had exposed a “sex ring” involving consultants who would meet female staff for liaisons – including on hospital premises.

An investigation uncovered hundreds of emails from the consultants to three female secretarial and clerical members of staff containing details about the trysts. According to a source, the ring sent “hundreds” of “indecent” emails and text messages “when they were paid to be working”. They referred to one of the women as “the Madam” who they allegedly met when they worked at another hospital.

Concerns have also been raised that the group took photographs of their activities.

A hospital worker told The Daily Telegraph they were “appalled” that the married consultants, who “shared” female staff between them and used code words such as “marmite” and “cappuccino” for sex, had not been “disciplined correctly”. The staff member said one trauma and orthopaedic consultant would meet a female colleague at the Signature Sandman Hotel near the hospital for sex during working hours.

Sir Leonard had moved to suspend the two consultants, but the trust’s chair, Kingsley Smith, and a non-executive director, Bryan Dodson, decided the pair could keep their jobs following a 20-minute disciplinary hearing, according to a source.

The consultants have since resigned from their posts at the hospital, following pressure from other staff who said they felt uncomfortable working with them.

Another source said: “All the other staff were thoroughly disgusted. As far as I’m concerned it’s a cover-up.”

They added that the trust’s governors had been forbidden from speaking about the issue and had been unable to contact Sir Leonard since his departure.

Nick Brown, a Newcastle MP, has also called on the hospital to give a “reasonable explanation” as to why Sir Leonard is on extended leave.

A spokesman for the trust said they “strongly refute” allegations that pressure was placed on staff or governors to remain silent.

“The trust has been clear with staff and governors that Sir Leonard Fenwick is on a period of extended leave,” she said. “We have a duty to protect the confidentiality of all of our staff, and for that reason we would not comment on his leave.”