Live rolling news: Gary Walker appears before the Commons' health select committee

Walker claims he was forced out of his job in 2009 after trying to alert the strategic health authority to problems in his trust that were putting patients at risk.

He broke his so-called supergag on February 14 this year to speak out about the issues at his former trust, and how he had been silenced.

The flurry of media attention this attracted has led to Mr Walker having frequent television, radio and print appearances during the past month. As a result of his profile being raised, he has been asked to present evidence at the Commons Health Select Committee today.

13.15pm @sjcalkin tweets: Gary Walker did tell Nicholson he was a whistleblower. Read Gary Walker’s letter to NHS chief executive David Nicholson (attached, right)

11.38am Gary Walker if I’d used public money and got ppl involved in doing bogus public reviews, I’d expected to be investigated #NTSOS

11.37am Gary Walker says just what has David Nicholson done in 6y to improve whistleblowing? He is accountable for the system #ntsos

11.35am Patients are not benefitting if pt harm is being covered up says Gary Walker #NTSOS

11.35am Use of public money to cover up individual failings is a problem Gary Walker says. #NTSOS

11.35am Dorrell says that in his exp as health sec 20y ago that it’s common to associate culture with 1 individual #NTSOS

11.33am Bowles says more regulation around gagging clauses is helpful but not going to change things #NTSOS

11.32am Bowles says can not change culture of NHS without changing leads #NTSOS

‏11.32am Bowles says ppl manipulate waiting list and figs because of fear of losing jobs. Tackle culture - set by org’s leaders #NTSOS

11.31am Stephen Dorrell asks what things should the NHS learn from this? #NTSOS

11.30am Keith Vaz asks who signed comp agreem’t. Gary Walker confirms it’s ULHT chair P Richardson. Vaz says she mistakenly read it as Nicholson at 1st!

‏11.27am Gary Walker says he is happy to supply media clippings revealing how he responded to press #NTSOS

‏11.25am Rosie Cooper asked did press not notice you were at 100%? Walker says they covered red alert “a lot”. #NTSOS Gary Walker says safety was priority

11.23am Commitee member Rosie Cooper asks did Gary Walker raise issues to any other external organisations. Walker says he did internally not externally #NTSOS

‏11.20am Bowles says from April/May could see wasn’t winter pressure. Showed analysts saying hospitals full but sr managers ignoring that #NTSOS

11.15am David Bowles says he received a gagging order as a witness. #NTSOS

11.13am Commitee chair Stephen Dorrell asks which clause is gagging clause. Walker points to sections that say he and witnesses can not repeat allegations #NTSOS

11.13am Compromise agreement will be published after agree Gary Walker and Committee member Dr Sarah Wollaston

11.12am Walker says settled because he was 100k in debt with legal fees and owed 10k in arrears in mortgage. And he & family had had enough #NTSOS

11.11am Committee member Keith Vaz asks was what you raised allegations or information? Walker says in opinion of judge was that they were protected disclosures #NTSOS

‏11.05am SHA says Walker not whistleblower because he did not get found to be one in court. Walker dismisses this fact. #NTSOS

11.04am Walker says all references he made to him being a whistleblower in the record of the disciplinary panel were deleted from #NTSOS

10.50am Walker says the deal he signed said he couldn’t repeat his allegations and that his witnesses should do the same.

10.21am Walker says he tried raising issues and decided to cancel operations but the problem was the SHA wasn’t interested in the capacity issues.

10.19am Asked if staff frightened to talk to Walker about pt safety. He says no.#NTSOS

9.55am Walker tells committee he was threatened by Dame Barbara Hakin as more and more ops were cacelled due to over capacity issues.

9.50am Gary Walker says he asked for a capacity review at Lincs. He says Dame Barbara Hakin, who was chief executive of the strategic health authority (SHA) NHS East Midlands at the time, said financial investment would not be possile if on red alert #NTSOS

9.30am Welcome, the Commons’ health select committee is today holding its latest hearing on the Francis Report from the Mid-Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry.

Today’s witnesses are Gary Walker, former Chief Executive of the United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust, and David Bowles, former chair of the United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust.

Mr Walker has been at the centre of recent media attention on whistleblowing and so-called “gagging” clauses.

Reporting comes live from the Thatcher Room at Portcullis House in Westminster. 

Sign our Speak Out Safely petition to support a transparent and open NHS. We are calling on the government to implement recommendationsfrom theFrancis report that will increase protection for staff who raise concerns about patient care.

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