Sacked trust chief executive to stand against health minister

Gary Walker, whose appeal against his sacking will be heard later this week, will stand for Ms Merron’s Lincoln seat as an independent candidate in the election, expected on 6 May.

He went on sick leave from his job running United Lincolnshire Hospital Trust last summer and was sacked for swearing last month.

Mr Walker said he was standing out of anger at the MPs’ expenses scandal and out of frustration with the way the Labour government has run the NHS.

“Under the current government the NHS has become obsessed with targets and has created a culture of fear,” he said. ”’I want to see government removed from meddling in the NHS and to ensure we have safe, properly funded, well managed healthcare services in Lincoln.”

Mr Walker also wants to see “fair funding for Lincolnshire” claiming that it should get £70m a year more in NHS funding.

Mr Walker was chief executive of the trust for three and a half years, and claims more than 400 jobs were created in the trust during that time, a £13.8m overspend was turned into a £12.5m surplus, while waiting times and healthcare acquired infections were cut.

But last summer the then chairman resigned, alleging that the trust was coming under intense pressure to meet government access targets, Mr Walker was signed off work with stress and the trust later instigated disciplinary proceedings against him.