Director of Three Northern France Mental Health Hospitals Suspended Amid ARS Probe

Bruno Gallet, director of three public mental health institutions in northern France, has been suspended from his position pending an administrative investigation.

The Centre national de gestion issued an internal memo confirming the suspension. Gallet directed the EPSM Lille Métropole based in Armentières, the EPSM de l’Agglomération lilloise located in Saint-André-lez-Lille, and the EPSM Val de Lys-Artois situated in Saint-Venant. Frédéric Macabiau has been appointed as the interim general director for all three establishments.

The administrative inquiry follows four formal reports submitted to the Agence régionale de santé between late March and early April by the UNSA union, represented by secretary-general Tony Gille, along with two staff members including an administrative manager. The union alerts raised roughly a dozen concerns regarding internal management practices and operational choices within the facilities.

Internal Management Scrutiny and Public Resource Queries

Investigators are reviewing several distinct financial and operational decisions tied to executive leadership. Union delegates flagged the estimated 170 000 € cost of the EPSM de l’Agglomération lilloise bicentennial celebration, noting that certain expenditures may have proceeded without a formal call for bids.

Additional items under administrative review include remote work authorizations up to 80 percent for a management controller operating from a residence in Morocco, and the rental of a 265-square-meter apartment near the Citadelle in Lille on behalf of the GHT costing 2 300 € per month for another management member. Investigators are also examining an instance where an administrative assistant on a fixed-term contract was allegedly asked to format course materials during work hours for university classes taught and separately compensated by Gallet.

Investigation Timeline and Union Response

The Agence régionale de santé initiated its internal inquiry at the beginning of the summer, utilizing a specialized panel consisting of an attorney, a hospital director, and a public health medical inspector. Fact-finding auditions are scheduled to continue through the end of September to re-examine certain personnel and question additional witnesses.

While awaiting the final findings of the ongoing probe, union representatives welcomed the initial interim suspension measure. In a union tract, Tony Gille stated that the same requirements of rigor and responsibility must apply to all, regardless of hierarchical level.

The UNSA secretary-general added that the material brought to the attention of administrative authorities is sufficiently serious to warrant a protective suspension while the disciplinary review proceeds through upcoming witness hearings. Meanwhile, the Agence régionale de santé declined to comment on either the suspension order or the specifics of the ongoing administrative inquiry, noting that management career procedures fall under the jurisdiction of the Centre national de gestion. Jean-Michel Monpays, president of the supervisory board for EPSM Lille Métropole and mayor of Armentières, chose not to interfere with the inquiry earlier in the process, limiting his involvement to forwarding reported elements to the competent administrative authorities.