NHS manager who earned £1m jailed for fabricating qualifications

A former probation officer who earned more than £1m working in very senior NHS management roles after he fabricated qualifications has been jailed for two years.

Jon Andrewes, 63, claimed to have two PhDs and a master’s degree but in fact had only a higher education diploma in social work and a teaching qualification. He also lied over his work history, falsely claiming to have worked in the Home Office.

Andrewes, who styled himself Dr though he had no right to the title, worked for more than a decade in various senior health jobs across the south-west of England including chair of the Royal Cornwall hospital trust. He was also chief executive at St Margaret’s hospice in Taunton and temporary chair of Torbay NHS trust.

Sentencing him at Exeter crown court, Judge Geoffrey Mercer QC told Andrewes: “For a period of over 10 years your outwardly prestigious life was based upon a lie, a series of staggering lies, repeated lies about your education, and employment background and your experience. Lies by which you obtained responsible positions.”

He said Andrewes would not have held those roles if he had told the truth and he had caused real damage to public confidence in the organisations he worked in.

Andrewes falsely claimed to have:

• A diploma from the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants

• A PhD in ethics management from Plymouth University

• A PhD in business administration from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh

• A master’s from the University of Edinburgh

• A degree from the University of Bristol

After the hearing, Alex Johnson, a senior crown prosecutor with the CPS’s specialist fraud division, said: “Jon Andrewes repeatedly lied on his CV in order to better his chances of securing lucrative senior roles across the health service. The investigation team built a case which clearly outlined the scale of the deception and, faced with the evidence against him, Andrewes pleaded guilty.”

Andrewes, of Totnes in Devon, admitted two counts of fraud and one count of obtaining a pecuniary advantage by deception. The prosecution followed an investigation by anti-fraud officials at the Department of Health.

Cameron Brown, prosecuting, said Andrewes earned more than £1m during a 10-year period. He said the prosecution did not accept Andrewes’s claim that he had performed excellently during his time at various NHS bodies, saying he was rated as “unsatisfactory” in some of his jobs.

Ros Collins, defending, said Andrewes was extremely regretful and remorseful at his “sheer stupidity” in fabricating his educational qualifications. She said: “He has every respect for his former employers. He is very distressed for causing them any embarrassment. He has been loyal to the caring profession for many, many years.”

Collins said the sham qualifications gave him a “foot in the door” but making a success of it was down to him. She added: “These things happen where people inflate their CV out of desperation to get work.”

The court was told there was an ongoing NHS investigation into how Andrewes was able to hoodwink his way into senior roles.

NHS manager who earned £1m jailed for fabricating qualifications

Surgeon jailed over patient"s death wins appeal against conviction

A surgeon who served a jail sentence over the death of a patient at a private hospital has won an appeal against his conviction.

David Sellu, 69, was convicted of gross negligence manslaughter in November 2013 and handed a two and a half year prison term at the Old Bailey.

On Tuesday, three court of appeal judges in London allowed his challenge against the conviction relating to the death of James Hughes, a father of six from Northern Ireland.

Hughes, 66, died at the Clementine Churchill hospital in Harrow, north-west London, after falling unexpectedly ill after surgery on his left knee.

The retired builder had a planned knee replacement on 5 February 2010. The operation went well, but he developed abdominal pain during his recovery and was transferred to Sellu’s care.

It was the standard of the doctor’s care of Hughes over a period of about 25 hours that formed the basis of the case against him.

At a recent hearing the appeal judges heard that the “essence” of the prosecution case was that the doctor, a “respected consultant colorectal surgeon”, should have performed an operation to repair a perforated bowel “at a much earlier time”.

But a QC argued on behalf of Sellu, who served 15 months before being released in February last year, that his conviction for gross negligence manslaughter was “unsafe” on a number of grounds.

Sellu, of Hillingdon, west London, was present in court to hear Sir Brian Leveson, who heard the case with Lord Justice Irwin and Mr Justice Globe, announce that the conviction should be quashed.

Leveson gave the prosecution 24 hours to make an application if they wished to seek a retrial.

Surgeon jailed over patient"s death wins appeal against conviction

Roseanne Fulton: federal minister methods in to case of jailed Aboriginal lady

The federal minister for Indigenous affairs has written to the attorneys general of Western Australia and the Northern Territory about a mentally impaired Indigenous females who has been held in jail for 18 months regardless of not being convicted of a crime.

Roseanne Fulton, 24, was born with foetal alcohol syndrome and was arrested on driving costs in WA in 2012.

Soon after getting assessed by the state’s mentally impaired accused assessment board she was placed in Kalgoorlie prison till ideal accommodation could be located, but has been there for a lot more than a yr.

A movement was passed in the Senate on Tuesday calling on the federal government to negotiate a transfer of Fulton to Alice Springs to be close to her family members.

The Indigenous affairs minister, Nigel Scullion, spoke for a minute on the movement, revealing he had written to the NT and WA attorneys common as effectively as the NT wellness minister, Robyn Lambley.

Lambley and a former NT police officer, Ian Mckinlay, have joint guardianship of Fulton.

“Can I say I realize the aggravation people truly feel in relation to this situation – it’s a quite complex matter the total particulars merely can not be captured by a motion like this. It is a matter for Western Australia and Northern Territory to attempt to uncover a resolution,” Scullion mentioned.

“My office has spoken to Ms Fulton’s local community guardian.”

Scullion did not reveal the articles of the letters sent to WA and NT but the prime minister, Tony Abbott, has previously asked for a complete briefing on the matter and is probably to comment on the matter quickly.

The Senate motion, which was introduced by Greens senator Rachel Siewert, stated the house acknowledged it was unacceptable for individuals to be held in custody indefinitely without having conviction.

It also mentioned the failure of the NT government to supply suitable accommodation and treatment method choices in buy for the WA government to transfer Fulton back to Alice Springs.

Siewert mentioned it was cause for national shame that individuals with disabilities were becoming left in custody.

“Ms Fulton’s situation highlights wider failings inside our criminal justice methods,” she explained.

“There are a lot of men and women with disabilities, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal, currently being held without conviction around Australia. Federal, state and territory governments have an obligation to make sure no one is denied normal justice or has their human rights infringed on because of their disability.”

McKinlay has called on NT’s chief minister, Adam Giles, to step in, saying the attorney common and overall health minister had “bungled” the issue.

“The lawyer common and wellness minister don’t recognize what’s going on – or refuse to understand – so it’s up to Mr Giles to demonstrate some leadership. I’m more than happy to fly to Darwin if he’ll just spare me half an hour,” Mckinlay mentioned on Tuesday.

Mckinlay says it is completely inside the Northern Territory’s powers to facilitate Fulton’s release from a WA prison.

“Roseanne’s return to the NT has practically nothing to do with prisoner extradition, nor her needing to be in breach of NT law to be offered secure care. The actual procedure is not complicated,” he mentioned.

“For the past 18 months, the appropriate WA authorities – the mentally impaired accused assessment board and the WA Disability Services Commission – have been waiting for a care proposal from NT wellness.

“If they are satisfied the care proposal is suitable, they would move to facilitate her transition to Alice Springs.”

A petition calling on the NT government to intervene has far more than 100,000 signatures.

Roseanne Fulton: federal minister methods in to case of jailed Aboriginal lady

Northern Territory "passing the buck" on jailed Roseanne Fulton

Advocates for a mentally impaired female who has invested 18 months behind bars in Western Australia, regardless of never becoming convicted of a crime, say the Northern Territory government is trying to “pass the buck” on her situation.

Roseanne Fulton, who suffered from foetal alcohol syndrome, was charged with driving offences in Western Australia, but was found unfit to plead or encounter trial, and was passed into the care of the state’s Mentally Impaired Accused Evaluation Board.

It established that Fulton, 24, would be a danger to herself if released, and placed her in a Kalgoorlie prison till much more ideal accommodation could be identified.

Considering that her story was exposed by the ABC’s seven.thirty program, a petition to have Fulton placed in the care of disability support companies in Alice Springs had attracted near to 80,000 signatures.

On Thursday, the Northern Territory attorney-general, John Elferink, told The Guardian Australia Fulton’s case was not his government’s accountability.

“There are no extradition arrangements in between Western Australian and the Northern Territory for men and women who are primarily wards of the state,” he mentioned. “It’s up to Western Australia to release her.”

He repeated the feedback on the ABC’s Lateline program on Thursday evening.

But advocates for Fulton, such as her legal guardian, Ian Mckinlay, said Elferink’s comments had been “passing the buck”.

“She was positioned in Western Australia by the Northern Territory health division, and she remains an adult guardian client of the Northern Territory wellness minister, jointly with me,” Mckinlay stated. “So she’s directly beneath the guardianship of the Northern Territory minister for wellness.”

Fulton could not be transferred from her Kalgoorlie prison cell right up until West Australian authorities were convinced she would acquire proper help elsewhere.

Western Australia did not have any supported accommodation facilities suitable for her, which was why she remained in prison. Her advocates desired her moved closer to her house in Alice Springs, but the Northern Territory well being department had so far refused to offer you her supported accommodation.

“The Northern Territory wellness department is just saying no,” Mckinlay mentioned. “The overall health minister refuses to even talk about this situation with me. She has not responded to any requests.”

Fulton was previously promised a location in a safe care facility close to her house in Alice Springs, but the Northern Territory health division withdrew the supply, fearing she would be incompatible with some of the centre’s male clients.

The Aboriginal Disability Justice Campaign said as several as thirty indigenous Australians have been languishing in prison, regardless of in no way dealing with trial, due to the fact no alternative accommodation existed.

“Preventative detention would seem to have become the fall-back position for governments that are not ready to stage up to the plate and handle squarely and successfully the challenge of dealing with foetal alcohol syndrome disorder and psychological well being troubles in the neighborhood,” stated Patrick Keyzer, a law professor at Bond University.

“[State] governments are incarcerating individuals since they’ve failed to construct and fund safe psychiatric amenities,” he mentioned. “They need to have to construct and fund those facilities, and the commonwealth government, which has the energy to employ Australia’s worldwide human rights obligations into domestic law, must do exactly that.”

The chairman of Western Australia’s Mentally Impaired Accused Overview Board, Robert Cock, would not comment on certain cases, but said the board managed a quantity of men and women “whose care might … be much better managed in an additional jurisdiction, and actively seeks to facilitate their repatriation to that far more appropriate spot, but has no powers of compulsion to obtain that outcome”.

Meanwhile, Fulton remained in legal limbo, waiting on the West Australian and Northern Territory governments to uncover her a new house.

The Northern Territory health department was repeatedly contacted for comment.

Northern Territory "passing the buck" on jailed Roseanne Fulton

Dad and mom jailed for manslaughter of infant who had rickets

Nkosiyapha Kunene, was jailed for 3 years for the manslaughter of his son Ndingeko. Photograph: Mark Thomas/Rex

A couple have been jailed for the manslaughter of their 5-month previous son, who died from rickets right after they neglected his care because of their religious beliefs.

Nkosiyapha Kunene, 36, and his wife, Virginia, 32, admitted the manslaughter of their son Ndingeko. Mr Kunene was jailed for three years, and his wife for two many years, three months.

The pair repeatedly rejected health care therapy and ignored the suggestions of family members to look for support soon after their son grew to become ill, stating that only God offers daily life.

Virginia Kunene refused a scan in the course of pregnancy right after health-related employees expressed concern for the baby’s wellness. Photograph: Mark Thomas/Rex

Ndingeko later on died following contracting rickets as a consequence of a significant vitamin D deficiency triggered by the stringent vegan diet regime followed by his mother and father.

Passing sentence, Mr Justice Singh at the Outdated Bailey mentioned: “The secular courts of this nation apply the secular law of the land. They do so equally to all who come ahead of them. The law respects the appropriate of everybody to freedom of considered and belief.

“Nevertheless the correct to manifest one’s religion is not absolute. It is restricted in distinct by the rights of other individuals. The state has a notably important duty to protect the correct to existence, especially when a younger little one is concerned.”

The couple, from Erith, Kent, admitted the charge at earlier hearings.

The judge explained that the couple, otherwise “dedicated and humble”, had been strict Seventh Day Adventists. But he extra: “Nevertheless their views (in certain Mr Kunene’s) appear to be really extreme and do not reflect the official doctrine of that church.”

Mrs Kunene had sought health care consideration in the seventh month of her pregnancy, as the couple hoped to have a natural residence birth. She refused health-related focus following staff expressed concern for the baby’s health, saying it was “God’s will” that she did not have a scan.

Ndingeko was born on one December 2011 and died on 14 June 2012. He invested numerous days in a particular care infant unit due to his reduced birth fat but his severe vitamin D deficiency was not detected. Once discharged, the couple had promised to return to the hospital ought to he turn into unwell. The couple had not refused all healthcare interventions at all instances, but in the following months his overall health deteriorated and the couple declined check-ups.

When family members members expressed significant considerations, Mr Kunene responded by saying “we are praying” and “we can not do anything about it right up until the lord sanctions”.

On 14 June 2012, he named 999 saying his five-month outdated kid had no indicators of life. Police have been called to their house, exactly where they experimented with to resuscitate the infant, but he was pronounced dead later on that evening.

The judge explained that Mr Kunene realised , when he returned property from operate on that day, that Ndingeko may possibly die, but he did not get in touch with for health care assistance. His wife said that on that day she did want to look for healthcare interest but her husband said it would be a sin.

The judge ruled that the husband’s culpability was higher than that of his wife, which he reflected in the sentence.

The judge said he had heard evidence that the hospital also played a element in failing properly to advise the couple and prescribe vitamin D dietary supplements, including that a serious situation overview had been taking area and was due to report shortly. It was, according to Singh, to be hoped that all necessary inquiries will have been created by numerous authorities to establish that everything was completed to protect the boy’s lifestyle that could fairly have been done.

The Seventh-Day Adventist church has issued a statement stressing that church members ought to look for and pay attention to wellness tips.

Dad and mom jailed for manslaughter of infant who had rickets