The Shadow Minister for Health and Social Services has questioned the accountability and credibility of Bermuda Hospital Board chairman Raymonde Dill.

Kim Young, who was in Australia last week with her husband, BDC Ltd. president and CEO Ward Young for their daughter's wedding, took Mr. Dill to task over news from a hospital insider that a Bermudian in line for a top hospital post was turned down.

"I think that Mr. Raymonde Dill's accountability and credibility as Bermuda Hospitals Board chairman must be questioned if it is true that a Bermudian was identified to be the next Executive Director of the (King Edward VII Memorial) hospital and was overlooked,'' said Mrs. Young.

She called for an investigation into the matter and questioned whether the Island's hospitals were truly destined to be run by Bermudians.

"The Minister of Labour and Home Affairs should investigate this allegation,'' she said.

"Mr. Dill, at a scholarship presentation at the hospital, said the hospital was run by Bermudians for Bermudians -- but in this case, he seems to have changed his thinking.'' The Shadow MP also claimed Mr. Dill had wasted funds and time on his scrutiny of a male Canadian applicant for the post, according to the report from the hospital insider.

Mr. Dill reportedly found the man's references to be bad and announced this after the man flew to Bermuda for a three-night stay at the Southampton Princess.

Said Mrs. Young: "It would also seem to be normal practice to scrutinise all applicants references before spending money in airfares and hotel accommodation to bring a shortlisted candidate down to Bermuda for an interview.

"In his inexperience, Mr. Dill supposedly looked up the references after the fact -- what a waste of time and money on the BHB's behalf and also on the prospective candidate's behalf.'' Provoking further ire from the Opposition MP was the news that appointed BHB deputy chairman Ianthia Wade had applied for the senior hospital post.

She "should not even have considered applying for the position'', said Mrs.

Young.

"If an appointed member of a Board felt that they were suitable for the position and wanted to apply for a position under that Board, then that member should resign from the Board first,'' Mrs. Young added.

She also noted that the hospital was in a good position following the work of previous boards and the staff.

But she warned: "The Bermuda Hospitals Board has had more than ten months to fill this post and it is reprehensible to allow such an important position to be vacant for such a long time, resulting in confusion at the hospital where staff appear not to have clear lines of reporting and accountability.

"With the present unrest among the staff, I am concerned that patient care will suffer, and more importantly, confidence of the community will wane.

"Our community needs to know that they will receive excellent care in a well-run facility and at the moment this doesn't seem to be happening.

"The hospital administrative team must be allowed to manage without interference from the Board and the Board must hire a competent Executive Director to facilitate Board policies to run the hospital in an efficient manner.''