The chief executive of a hospital at the centre of a cancer waiting times scandal was told of allegations that data was being manipulated more than two years ago, the BBC has learned.
Dr Gordon Coutts was sent a letter alerting him to the claims about Colchester hospital in April 2011.
In the letter, seen by BBC Look East, Dr Coutts told a patient he would investigate alleged irregularities if evidence was provided.
Dr Coutts was unavailable for comment.
The hospital trust is facing three separate inquiries, including a criminal police investigation.
The case came to light after whistleblowers approached the Care Quality Commission (CQC), which then inspected the hospital.
It criticised the trust, saying it had failed to undertake a thorough investigation.
The claims were not made public until last month, when the trust was placed in special measures.
'Rather alarmed'Former patient Jon Campbell-Vencarto said he had tried to alert the hospital to possible waiting time manipulation in April 2011.
Mr Campbell-Vencarto, who had suspected cancer, had complained to a nurse about waiting more than five months for a prostate operation at the hospital - in excess of the waiting time limit of 18 weeks.
"She said it was a joke at the hospital. People were being taken off the waiting lists and put back on again," he said.
End Quote Mike Baker Former Colchester Hospital finance directorI feel I let my people down"
His wife, Julie, who also heard the remark said: "We took it to mean that they were manipulating the waiting lists to meet their targets."
The couple wrote to Dr Coutts in April 2011 expressing their concerns, saying: "It has been alleged that hospital management removes patients off the lists and then puts them back on in some type of attempt to manipulate the waiting list system. We were rather alarmed when this was put to us."
In his reply, Dr Coutts said: "If you would like to provide me with any names or evidence of waiting list irregularities I will investigate this matter."
Mr Campbell-Vencarto said the hospital should have carried out that investigation rather than rely on a patient to find the proof.
'Let down'The BBC has also discovered an executive director at the hospital has resigned over the cancer waiting times scandal.
Finance director Mike Baker carried out a flawed inquiry last year over allegations that staff were bullied into changing patient records to meet government targets.
Mr Baker, 67, told the BBC: "I was planning to retire and when I read the report I decided to bring it forward and I resigned."
He added: "I am disappointed that I had to leave the trust. From my own point of view, I was about to leave the trust anyway but it rather coloured the way I left... I feel I let my people down."
Evidence of the financial pressure the hospital was under to meet its cancer waiting time figures has also emerged.
In January 2012, around the time staff were allegedly told to change patient files, the hospital failed to meet three key cancer targets, including patients with breast symptoms being seen by a consultant within two weeks.
'Not comfortable'North East Essex Primary Care Trust fined the trust £16,000 for those breaches to cancer standards and ordered a remedial action plan.
The trust board is due to meet later and will hear it has failed the latest quarterly cancer wait times for 31 and 62 days, which could lead to further fines from new commissioning body, the North East Essex Clinical Commissioning Group.
In a report to his board of directors, Dr Coutts said: "The CQC report has impacted [on] staff and extra resources have been allocated."
A spokesman for the hospital trust would not talk to the BBC about the departure or suspension of staff or directors related to the CQC report.
"We are not comfortable answering this question. We pride ourselves on protecting the confidentiality of our employees and respecting their privacy," a spokesman said.
"However, the trust is very concerned by the issues raised in the CQC report and will take appropriate disciplinary action against anyone in the organisation who has acted improperly.
"An independent investigation has been set up to establish whether or not there may be a case to answer under the trust's disciplinary policies by any employee concerned in either the handling of, or the response to, concerns that were raised about the cancer pathways. "
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