NHS director accused of ‘naked nepotism’ to get son job

NHS chiefs have been accused of “naked nepotism” after a human resources director got her son a job without the role being advertised.

Beverly Edgar, director of HR at Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board, in South Wales, arranged for her son Jack to fill a vacancy after a colleague resigned.

The health board didn’t publicly advertise the role, and after an interview, not with his mother, he was given the £300-a-week job.

ABMU is currently engulfed in a care scandal with three nurses admitting criminal neglect of elderly patients and two currently standing trial for falsifying medical records.

Gareth Williams, who represents the ABMU victims support group, said he was alerted to the appointment by aggrieved frontline employees.

He said: “Disgruntled staff are incredulous, and clearly believe this is nothing more than naked nepotism.

“Of all people, the Head of HR should, perhaps, have known the adverse publicity that would result from this insensitive appointment.”

Susan Bailey, head of communications at ABMU, said: “Yeah, we are guilty but it is not as bad as it seems. It is not as black and white as it first appears.”

Ms Bailey said the Medical HR Officer who resigned had a crucial role in inducting hundreds of new junior doctors onto the wards at the start of this year’s rotation.

She alleged waiting to fill the vacancy through an open recruitment process would have taken three months, “seriously jeopardised” the junior doctor induction process and put patient safety at risk.

The HR officer handed in her notice on May 19.

HR director Beverly Knight got her son an interview for the role and he was appointed on a three-month contract on June 5 and was due to start work on June 15. He actually started on June 22 due to illness.

“The agency would have cost over £400 a day and he come in at Band 2 on around £60 a day,” she said.

“It was done to save money and to protect patient care and make sure there wasn’t any delay in doctors joining the wards.”

She admitted the resigning HR officer would have given a month’s notice but said it would still have taken three months to fill the vacancy.

An ABMU spokeswoman said: “This temporary contract was offered under the health board’s direct hire process, which is used in emergency circumstances such as this.

“The decision to offer this temporary contract was clearly made in the interests of continuity of care and value to the public purse.

“We are now recruiting, through normal NHS Wales processes, to replace the original Medical HR officer permanent post.”

---