Paula Vennells' Apology Highlights Culture of Cover-ups in Public Sector
- Paula Vennells faced criticism for her role in the Horizon scandal while refusing to resign from her NHS position.
- The public sector is under scrutiny for a culture that assumes good intentions even when cover-ups are evident.
- Vennells' actions raise questions about accountability and competency in management roles.
Paula Vennells did not quit her job as chair of an NHS trust when news of the Post Office scandal came out. She only left when a director threatened to resign if she didn't. The Times reported that Ms. Vennells promised to behave well to stay as chair at Imperial Hospitals Healthcare NHS Trust, which paid her £50,000 a year. She stayed in her position for 16 more months after a judge said the Horizon system caused the scandal in December 2019. But she stayed until April 2021. People said Ms. Vennells didn't listen to others. She claimed she was misled by Post Office's lawyers and Fujitsu's IT experts. She will speak at the Post Office inquiry. Jo Hamilton, a campaigner and former subpostmistress, asked Ms. Vennells to tell the truth at the Horizon IT inquiry. Ms. Hamilton said Ms. Vennells should admit her mistakes. Ms. Hamilton pleaded guilty to a smaller crime in 2006 to avoid jail. The Post Office wrongly accused over 700 subpostmasters between 1999 and 2015 because of Fujitsu's bad Horizon system. Many subpostmasters still wait for full compensation. The government said those with overturned convictions can get £600,000. Ms. Vennells hasn't said much at the inquiry yet. Her lawyers said she was upset by the judgments against Alan Bates and Ms. Hamilton, which showed Horizon was wrong.