A SACKED Winchester doctor has responded to the final judgment of his employment tribunal which rejected his claim that he was unfairly dismissed.

As previously reported, Consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist Martyn Pitman was dismissed earlier this year from the Royal Hampshire County Hospital (RHCH) in Winchester where he had worked in his role for 20 years.

He appeared before an employment tribunal, which took place from September 25 to October 9, having accused the Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (HHFT) of firing him for whistleblowing concerns about patient and staff safety.

It has been revealed today that Mr Pitman's complaints have been dismissed unanimously.

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Mr Pitman said: "This decision is incredibly disappointing and another devastating blow in what has been a very long and challenging legal dispute with the Hampshire Hospitals Foundation Trust. 

"I have dedicated my entire career, particularly my two decades as a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, to the provision of safe, evidence-based and patient-centred care for those individuals who I have had the privilege and responsibility to look after.

"I also very much valued my position of responsibility in being able to support and represent the views and concerns of my clinical midwifery, nursing and healthcare assistant colleagues. My decision to whistle-blow patient and staff safety concerns at the Trust has cost me very dearly and I am faced with the brutal reality of losing the career I have cherished.

"I will now begin the difficult process of considering the 75-page judgment with my legal team and the BMA before deciding on appropriate next steps. Case management directions for my unfair dismissal claim, which is ongoing, are due to be agreed next month. 

"I wish to express my sincere and heartfelt thanks to all those who have been and continue to be supportive throughout this immensely challenging period."

A HHFT spokesperson said: “We welcome the findings of the employment tribunal and thank the panel, led by Judge Gray, for their diligence in reaching their conclusion.

“Although grateful that the decision has been made in our favour, we would not have wanted to find ourselves at a tribunal. The value we place on all our staff cannot be overstated; they are on the front line of providing outstanding care and clinical excellence to patients.”

The spokesperson continued: “Mr Pitman raised important and valid concerns particularly in relation to impacts around staffing levels on our maternity unit. He was right to do this - and he was not alone in doing so.  We listen to concerns raised and take action. Today, our maternity units are fully recruited for midwives.

“Our issue was never about the concerns raised by Mr Pitman, but about concerns raised by others of disruptive behaviour and then a breakdown in working relationships.  These factors are damaging in any workplace, but in a healthcare setting, which is by its nature an intense and pressurised environment, their destabilising effect is even more serious.”