Health officials expressed serious concerns about Steve Barclay's behaviour, ITV News hears
ITV News Deputy Political Editor Anushka Asthana and ITV News Westminster Producer Lucy McDaid report on the latest allegations about the behaviour of Steve Barclay
Health sources have told ITV News that serious concerns have been raised about the current Health Secretary Steve Barclay’s behaviour while working in the department.
ITV News has heard from sources across the health sector about officials working with Mr Barclay raising claims, which include the word “bullying”.
It comes as The Guardian first reported on Wednesday that concerns have been informally made about Mr Barclay's alleged behaviour towards civil servants, since he was appointed Secretary of State in July last year.
According to the publication, a number of officials from the Department of Health had expressed concerns to the permanent secretary, Chris Wormald.
It also said senior civil servants there had privately referred to "bullying" and other "bad behaviour" by Mr Barclay towards staff members.
ITV News sources also suggest officials in more than one department asked questions about Mr Barclay's behaviour, even before his time as health secretary.
But a Department of Health source said the allegations are "totally untrue" and no official complaint has been made.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly told ITV News that Mr Barclay is "absolutely not" a bully, and insisted no complaints have been made about his behaviour.
Steve Barclay is 'absolutely not' a bully, insists Foreign Secretary James Cleverly
The allegations have come to light days after the resignation of the former deputy prime minister and justice secretary, Dominic Raab, who was "intimidating" and "persistently aggressive", according to an independent report.
Mr Raab was the subject of eight formal complaints about his behaviour, with senior lawyer Adam Tolley KC upholding two of them.
Mr Tolley found Mr Raab's behaviour could be "often intimidating" and "excessively demanding", with a "significant adverse impact" on the health of some of his complainants.
On Sunday, The Times reported that "at least three members of the cabinet are on alert" that they could be next, with one believed to have been named in a survey of 650 civil servants about ministerial bullying.
The survey was carried out by the FDA, the union that represents civil servants, according to the paper.
Officials who have spoken to ITV News since the publication of the report into bullying complaints against Mr Raab say they were upset by the government response.
It risks discouraging civil servants from complaining about ministerial behaviour in future, they said.
In a statement, a spokesperson from the Department of Health and Social Care said: “The department has not received any formal complaints relating to the behaviour of its ministers.
“Any complaints, relating to ministers or members of staff, would be investigated in line with departmental guidance.”
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