THE trust that runs south Cumbria's hospitals has suspended two governors.

The Morecambe Bay NHS Trust said it was carrying out an investigation after 'complaints' about their behaviour. 

It has been suggested the governors were suspended having asked questions about a former UHMBT surgeon who resigned after blowing the whistle on issues in the urology department.

Peter Duffy was later the subject of an investigation by the health watchdog after allegedly falsified emails that implicated him in the death of a patient surfaced.

Mr Duffy claimed the emails supposedly sent by him, which implied he had been negligent when treating the patient and misled a coroner in the subsequent inquest, had been falsified.

He feared the emails would lead to him being struck off and potentially jailed for medical manslaughter.

The General Medical Council recently dropped the case after a two-year investigation.

According to Computer Weekly, the trust has denied the governors' suspensions were related to concerns about Mr Duffy's case.

Another member of the trust's council of governors, Sue Allison, was also concerned about Mr Duffy's case and resigned earlier this year, claiming there was a 'bullying' culture within the trust's hospitals.

The former radiographer previously acted as a whistleblower in raising concerns about missed cancer diagnoses and poor standards of care at the trust

The hospital trust's elected Council of Governors provide a 'vital link between the communities and groups they serve and the Trust Board'.

Their role also includes deciding the terms of office of the trust chair and approving the appointment of the chief executive.

Mike Thomas, the trust chair, said: “Following numerous complaints from members of our Council of Governors about the behaviour of two of our public governors, and a request to act, we have suspended the two public governors from their duties in accordance with our Foundation Trust Constitution.

“An independent investigation will now take place into the conduct and behaviours of the two public governors.

"Once completed, the report will be presented to the Council of Governors to decide as to whether there is a case to answer that requires any further action.”