HEALTH chiefs are facing fresh allegations of a cover-up after they threw out a second request to make public a report into substandard care at a Hampshire hospital.

NHS bosses are still refusing to release results of a £150,000 probe into complaints that resulted in the closure of Fordingbridge Hospital and the suspension of three nurses.

The Daily Echo submitted an application under the Freedom of Information Act following Hampshire Primary Care Trust’s initial decision to withhold the 90-page document.

NHS bosses rejected the application and have now dismissed a request to reconsider their ruling. The Daily Echo will now appeal.

Campaigners have again accused officials of attempting to conceal what happened at the hospital, which was run by the old New Forest Primary Care Trust, when the complaints about patient care were received in 2007.

Bill Bray, former chairman of the hospital’s League of Friends, said: “I’m very surprised that they are being so secretive.

“It makes me think the fault lies with the hierarchy and that things are being hushed up.”

New Forest West MP Desmond Swayne said: “The report should be released and could be anonymised to protect individuals.

“It’s a matter of public interest and a matter for which the public has paid. I suspect the document is rather critical of the way the hospital was managed.”

The hospital was temporarily closed to new admissions following allegations about the treatment of elderly patients in Ford Ward.

The report into what went wrong was published several months ago by Verita, a London-based firm of management consultants.

However, the trust has refused to release it on the grounds that making it public would breach the rights of staff and patients named in the document.

Instead, it has published only a brief summary in which it accuses staff of “unacceptable behaviour”.

Age Concern Hampshire wants the trust to make the report available, together with evidence that all the recommendations have been acted upon.

Chris Perry, the charity’s director, said: “We wouldn’t want confidential medical details to be disclosed but I’d have expected the trust to release the report to restore public confidence in the hospital.”

Fordingbridge councillor Dr Miranda Whitehead, a retired GP, said: “The hospital was left floundering by the old primary care trust, which was saving money.

“If you don’t have good leadership you end up with a poor service. Fortunately there is good leadership there now.”

The trust has defended its decision to continue to withhold the report.

Releasing the document could result in the identification of staff and patients and would thus breach the Data Protection Act, said a trust spokesman.