Ex health-boss may have lied to inquiry

John Archer

The former £175,000 a year boss of Pennine Care Mental Health Trust, John Archer, may have lied during an internal investigation.

Mr Archer has been referred to the nursing watchdog following the allegations. He resigned and retired earlier this year following a seven-month investigation into “concerns” over his behaviour.

Archeer was absent from work for five months during the investigation, though officials refused to say what the concerns were.

The new allegation that he may have lied when interviewed relates to a separate investigation involving another employee.

A trust spokeswoman said: “There were grounds to suspect Mr Archer had lied to an earlier investigation. Mr Archer resigned prior to a disciplinary hearing. Mr Archer is a registered nurse and, as such, the Nursing and Midwifery Council has been notified.”

Pennine Care Trust runs mental health services across Oldham. Mr Archer, who lived in Diggle before moving to Manchester, was a former government health adviser and held the position of chief executive to the trust for 11 years before he resigned. His resignation was said by the trust to be “a personal matter.”

A spokeswoman for the Nursing and Midwifery Council said: “Under our policy we neither confirm nor deny any referral until we have concluded there is a case to answer and scheduled a hearing.”