Winchester consultant Martyn Pitman 'victimised over hospital concerns'

Martyn Pitman, pictured delivering a baby in 2019, was dismissed from his job at the hospital in March

A consultant has told an employment tribunal he experienced "brutal retaliatory victimisation" for raising concerns about hospital care.

Martyn Pitman was dismissed from his job at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital (RHCH) in Winchester in March.

Mr Pitman had raised worries about midwifery care at the hospital, where he worked as a consultant for 20 years.

He claims he suffered a detriment due to exercising rights under the Public Interest Disclosure Act.

The 57-year-old obstetrician and gynaecologist told the Southampton tribunal hearing his concerns had been about patient choice and safety - which he claimed management dismissed out of fear for "reputational damage".

In a statement produced to the tribunal, Mr Pitman said the merger of Royal Hampshire County Hospital with Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital NHS Trust in 2012 "proved challenging due to significant differences in the philosophy of care and management style".

He added: "I was justifiably reluctant to follow the low-risk, senior midwifery-led, pro-normalisation model of care championed by our new partners.

"I believe that, in the 21st century, maternity care should be patient-focused.

"Unfortunately this stance, somewhat professionally unpopular at the time, but now fully supported following recent enforced changes in UK maternity practice, made me vulnerable to managerial challenge."

He said morale was deteriorating in the RHCH midwifery team up to the spring of 2019 and clinical midwives had "lost confidence" in the senior midwifery management.

Mr Pitman's colleagues stood outside the tribunal court to support him as proceedings began

Mr Pitman states he was elected by the midwives to act as their "spokesperson" which led to him raising issues with the management.

In September 2019 he said an emergency meeting of consultants was held following "whistleblowing concerns" from the senior clinical midwives that "mirrored" those he had raised.

He explained: "Instead of working with me and my fellow consultants to address the concerns that had been raised, senior managerial colleagues realised the individual and organisational damage that our disclosures could cause.

"They chose instead to recruit the willing assistance of their senior trust managerial colleagues to subject me to a formal Managing High Professional Standards Investigations (MHPSI).

"As a direct consequence of exerting my professional responsibility in whistleblowing concerns I was subjected to brutal retaliatory victimisation."

'Unfair dismissal'

Mr Pitman said he warned this process "will kill somebody" as he thought the complaint against him was "vexatious".

He said he was then downgraded following a "surgical complication" during a procedure undertaken by a colleague without his knowledge in March 2021, and then dismissed in March this year.

A Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust spokeswoman said: "Dismissal is always a last resort and since Hampshire Hospitals was formed 11 years ago, no member of staff has ever been dismissed for whistleblowing or raising concerns over patient safety; and they never will be.

"The trust ensured that all issues raised by Mr Pitman were thoroughly and impartially investigated, including in some instances through external review.

"Patient safety remains our top priority, and our maternity teams work exceptionally hard together to provide the best care to our patients."

A British Medical Association spokeswoman confirmed a separate claim of unfair dismissal has been issued by Mr Pitman "for determination at a later stage".

The hearing continues.