NHS to pay £870,000 to whistleblower doctor after speaking out on patient safety

Following a tribunal, a London NHS trust has been ordered to pay £870,740 to the leading heart doctor after he was sacked for whistleblowing about safety concerns following a patient’s death.

Dr Kevin Beatt, considered to be one of the most respected consultant cardiologists in the UK, was sacked from Croydon Health Services in 2012 after reporting inadequate equipment, staff shortages and workplace bullying at the trust.

Dr Beatt was deemed to be a leader in his field following research into alternatives to open heart surgery, but was refused a number of roles at other trusts after his sacking.

He started working at the trust in 2005 and during his employment there, set up Croydon University Hospital’s cardiac interventional service, which “saved money and resulted in significantly improved outcomes for patients”.

He was dismissed by the trust after speaking out at a 2011 inquest into the death of a 63-year-old patient who had suffered cardiac arrest amid complications during an operation.

Following the tribunal, Dr Beatt said “I was forced into a position where I lost my career for trying to highlight dangerous practices in the NHS. It has taken seven years to get to this point, which is just appalling.

“It has been a huge ordeal and I have the greatest sympathy for any whistleblower who has to go through something like this.”

A spokesperson for Croydon Health Services said “This has been a very complex case that we felt necessary to pursue to protect confidence in our services and staff.

“We strive to ensure our staff feel supported to raise concerns and we continue to foster a culture of openness.
“We have also appointed a team of designated ‘Speak Up Guardians’, including a doctor, nurse, therapist and manager, allowing all of our staff to share their views.”

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Posted by Tony May, Partner/head of Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

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