WORCESTERSHIRE Acute Hospitals Trust has launched an investigation after allegations that two consultants referred NHS patients to their own private clinic - costing the NHS up to £1million.

The trust, which runs Worcestershire Royal Hospital in Worcester, has launched the investigation after claims printed in the Birmingham Mail concerning consultants Stephen Pandy and Steve Lake.

It says it takes the concerns raised "very seriously" but has stressed that it does not believe any wrongdoing has occurred.

Mr Pandey, aged 43, and Mr Lake, aged 60, who are both clinical directors at the acute trust, as well as the owners of the Worcestershire Bowel Clinic, based at the private Spire South Bank Hospital in Worcester.

It is alleged that the acute trust gave the clinic £1,029,274 between September 2013 and March 2016 as part of the 'Waiting List Initiative' - where patients are referred to other providers if they cannot be treated within target times at sites operated by Worcestershire Acute Trust.

A spokesman for Worcestershire Acute Trust said: "The position is that the consultants are adamant there is no wrong doing on their part and at this stage we are not aware of any wrong doing either.

"We are taking the concerns very seriously and we will be commissioning an independent investigation into concerns raised by newspapers."

Mr Pandey is a clinical director of colorectal surgery and Mr Lake of endoscopy. In these roles they are tasked to ensure that cancer waiting time targets are met.

It is understood that the work handed to Worcestershire Bowel CLinic was not put out to tender.

But Worcestershire Acute Trust's interim chief executive Chris Tidman has said there was no requirement on the organisation to run a competitive procurement process.