Burstow: Trust must be forced to disclose Chief Executive's pay-off

10.28.13am UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 7th Feb 2007

Paul Burstow, MP for Sutton and Cheam, has lodged a complaint with Epsom and St Helier Hospital Trust about its decision to withhold information relating to the pay-off received by former Chief Executive Lorraine Clifton. The news comes amid rumours that Ms Clifton may have been paid in excess of £500,000 pounds to go quietly.

Mr Burstow lodged a Freedom of Information request with Epsom and St Helier Trust on 4th January, requesting information about the circumstances of Ms Clifton's departure. In addition to information about any pay-off, the request asked when the decision that Ms Clifton should leave was made, when steps were taken to employ an Interim Chief Executive and why news of the departure was revealed so late in the process.

In answer to the question: "Was the decision to leave the Chief Executive position made voluntarily by Ms Clifton?"

The trust responded simply: "Yes, following discussions with NHS London."

The Trust withheld information about Ms Clifton's financial settlement on the grounds that the information will be published in the Trust's Remuneration Report in September 2007. Mr Burstow has written to the Trust to complain about this decision, on the grounds that it is in the public interest for this information to be made public immediately.

Commenting on the news, Paul Burstow MP said:

"It is clear from the information the Trust has disclosed that Ms Clifton did not leave voluntarily."

"In the light of this, and the budget deficit which is set to force 1 in 10 Hospital staff out of their jobs, the public have a right to know how much she was paid to go."

"The people of Sutton have had enough of these cloak and dagger tactics - it is time we knew the truth."