"It is time that all chief executives, directors and associate directors should obtain a full accreditation and registration with a recognised professional body similar to the General Medical Council, General Dental Council etc before applying to any post at that level in the NHS. This is the only way to ensure these people are competent to do the job and the public can trust them."

"I worked with Lee Whitehead for a short time in his last post. He worked very hard for the PCT and introduced structure to the directorate when it was much needed. He was foolish to falsify his CV but I do not believe he was incompetent. The heavy focus on graduate qualifications in the Agenda For Change person specs may tempt people to falsify information."

"When admin and clerical staff are appointed, managers are advised by HR to ask to view certificates, check references and question gaps. When clinical staff (consultants) or executives are appointed, it all seems to be done by word of mouth."

"Good lad - we all do it! Unlucky though."

"This near miss underlines the need to ensure HR processes are properly and centrally managed to ensure the correct processes regarding the employment of all staff. Lying on CVs is relatively common."

"I'm disappointed to hear people defending this - fraud is fraud. Anyone - at any level - who thinks they don't have anything to learn from a formal qualification is fooling themselves. Forging the qualification is just an attempt to fool others as well."

"I too worked with Lee Whitehead and I too found him highly competent. Senseless requirement of academic qualifications may have driven some people to embellish their CVs; not that I condone such actions."

"[In my experience, with] all successful applicants for medical posts, registrations, criminal records and GMC are checked and any issues of concern are followed up. The same cannot be said of non-clinically qualified senior managers. We are still dealing with a mentality from the Thatcher years that dictated anyone could manage in the NHS. They can't."

"Why stop at CVs? How about checking whether they put in a full day's work and the correct leave days are taken?"

"How he will account for the 12-week gap in employment on his CV? Rehabilitation?"

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