The British Medical Association has called for the resignation of Frank Hester, chief executive of healthcare software supplier The Phoenix Partnership (TPP), over the alleged racist comments that have dominated the news this week.
The UK doctors’ union and professional body has also urged GPs not to sign any further contracts with TPP following the remarks he made about the MP Diane Abbott and black women at a 2019 meeting, which were made public this week by The Guardian.
Hester has apologised for his “rude” comments but denied that they were meant in a racist sense.
The BMA also highlighted that Hester has failed to meet the principles laid out by the NHS fit and proper test framework, which was put into operation in September 2023.
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TPP’s product SystmOne is one of the two leading patient consultation computer systems used by more than 2,700 GP practices across England.
The BMA’s GP committee (GPC UK) yesterday discussed an emergency motion that noted the TPP leader’s comments “contravene NHS England’s fit and proper person test framework” introduced in response to the 2019 Kark Review recommendations.
The motion called upon all UK health boards to “apply their own processes vigilantly” when contracting external stakeholders “whose views and values may not align with the wider professional national NHS workforce”.
It also called for Hester to “resign and hand over his directorship with immediate effect”.
GPC UK co-chairs Dr Alan Stout and Dr Andrew Buist said: “This emergency motion makes clear how appalled GPs are. There is no room for racism or sexism in the NHS, and the committee believes he should resign his position with immediate effect.”
TPP’s own diversity, equality and inclusion policy states under “our commitments” that all employees should be aware “of their responsibility for promoting equality, diversity and inclusion in their work” and states “all of TPP’s staff must adhere to the TPP equal opportunities policy, which provides further guidance on equality, diversity and inclusion.
It states: “Breaches of this policy will be dealt with in accordance with TPP’s disciplinary and performance improvement procedure and TPP’s grievance procedure.”
The Conservative Party is under pressure to return up to £15 million said to have been donated to it by Hester.
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