October 2004: Press release issued by North Staffordshire Hospital Trust in response to Mellor's latest complaint

The University Hospital of North Staffordshire can confirm that a complaint
has been made to the GMC by Mrs Penny Mellor about Dr Pat Chipping, the
Trust's Medical Director.

This is clearly a matter for the GMC to deal with so the Trust is not in a
position to become involved in the detail of the issue. The Trust's
understanding, however, is that Mrs Mellor's complaint relates to evidence
Dr Chipping gave at the GMC hearing into Professor Southall's work earlier
this year.

Despite having no formal connection with this Trust, Mrs Mellor first made
potentially serious albeit unsubstantiated allegations about Professor
Southall in 1999. Professor Southall was suspended without prejudice while
an investigation, involving independent panels of experts in the fields of
research and child protection, took place. Professor Southall was reinstated
in 2001, the panels having found no case to answer in respect of
professional misconduct or incompetence.

Since that time Mrs Mellor has continued make allegations to the media, the
Trust, the GMC and other bodies about Professor Southall's work. Following
the Trust's AGM in September 2003 Dave Crowley, Chief Executive, wrote to
Mrs Mellor with answers to more specific questions and allegations she
raised. In that letter Mr Crowley confirmed that, "We will continue to
co-operate with the GMC and make available to them any information requested
of us". He also reflected the Trust's detailed investigations of Professor
Southall's research and child protection work and said, "There were not
issues of serious professional conduct or competence arising from these
enquiries and the Trust will not be re-examining these matters."

Dave Crowley says, "Dr Chipping is a highly respected clinician and Medical
Director who now has to spend time and energy defending herself against
another in a long series of allegations made by Mrs Mellor in connection
with Professor Southall. As a public body, the NHS must always be fully
accountable to the public, and I will forever uphold everyone's right to ask
questions of concern to them and to make complaints concerning their care
and the service provided to them.

The system we work within, however, allows anyone to make public allegations
about NHS staff but, in order to protect patient confidentiality, does not
allow NHS staff to defend themselves in public. Following allegations over
the last five years the NHS has spent around £1million on investigation
after investigation into Professor Southall's work, all of which have shown
no case to answer in respect of professional misconduct or incompetence (the
GMC hearing was a separate issue and the Trust supports its verdict and
penalty). And still the same allegations and complaints go on. As a society
I feel we need to find a proper and acceptable balance between
accountability, investigation and acceptance of findings."

For further information or assistance please contact Mervyn Gamage, Head of
Communications, on 01782 555061, or Sue Lovatt, Communications Manager, on
01782 555400