A POWER struggle between a chief executive and some of her top medical

consultants has been blamed for an unprecedented spate of departures

which has plunged an NHS trust into crisis.

The Moray MP, Mrs Margaret Ewing, is demanding an inquiry into the

conflict which has led to the resignation of the chief executive and two

non-executive directors from Moray Health Services Trust.

Yesterday afternoon, trust chairman Jim Snedden was summoned to a

meeting in Edinburgh with the NHS chief executive in Scotland, Mr Geoff

Scaife, to explain the situation.

Chief executive Elizabeth Hogg quit her #45,000-a-year post 10 days

ago, and was followed by non-executive directors Willie Phillips and Mrs

Marjory Adams.

A source at Dr Gray's Hospital in Elgin alleged yesterday that a rift

between Mrs Hogg and the senior medical team at the hospital was behind

the row. The source claimed that the issue had come to a head after a

series of disagreements culminated in Mrs Hogg asking for the

resignation of her medical director, Dr Brian Heap.

In the flurry of meetings which followed, Mrs Hogg allegedly offered

to go. But the six non-executive directors of the NHS board unanimously

agreed to ask her to stay.

Mr Snedden and his deputy, Jim Royan, are then said to have met

hospital consultants and ''were left in no doubt'' of their feelings.

''It was not the first meeting the consultants had had with the

chairman to express their concerns,'' the source said.

Mrs Hogg later asked Mr Snedden if she could withdraw her resignation,

but he is alleged to have refused, then recommended it to the next board

meeting, at which only three non-executive directors supported Mrs Hogg.

Dr Heap, who remains as medical director, joined the trust last April

-- taking over from GP Ron Stewart, who quit after only a year in the

job.

When it was put to Dr Stewart that the clash between the medics and

Mrs Hogg was either one of policy or management, he said: ''The policy

has been in place for a long time. You can make your own deductions

about the rest.''

Mrs Hogg was the first woman to be appointed chief executive of a NHS

trust in Scotland and took up the post two years ago. Since resigning,

she has refused to speak publicly.

Mr Phillips, managing director of the Macallan Distillery on Speyside,

has also declined to comment.

But Mrs Lydia King, of Dunbar Street, Lossiemouth, a non-executive

director who supported Mrs Hogg at the board meeting, said she was

scared the affair might damage the trust's reputation.

''A damage limitation exercise is going on at the moment and the time

might come when we have to put our cards on the table -- if only to

protect one person,'' she added.

Conal Smith, chairman of Moray Trades Council, said he was perturbed

by the wall of silence the trust had put up.