Manx medic unfairly dismissed over whistleblowing, tribunal finds

The Isle of Man's most senior doctor was unfairly dismissed from her role for being a whistleblower, a tribunal has found.

Dr Rosalind Ranson was medical director at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) between 2019 and 2022.

She said she was "marginalised" after raising concerns about senior doctors' "crucial" Covid-19 advice not being passed on to ministers.

The tribunal found she was "made to feel not wanted" and ultimately sacked.

Dr Ranson made a number of disclosures between April 2020 and March 2021 about concerns over patient safety, governance, and failures within the DHSC to pass on expert advice to ministers to shut borders sooner.

She told the British Medical Association if this "had been heeded earlier, more lives would have been saved".

She also warned about flaws in data and modelling on which Covid decisions were based, and called for the island to stop relying on Public Health England advice.

The Employment and Equality tribunal report said DHSC Chief Executive Kathryn Magson became "frustrated and irritated" with Dr Ranson's challenges, leading her to be undermined and excluded.

She was not moved into Manx Care when the new health service body was created in April 2021, and instead was left in an "empty shell role" in DHSC, it added.

The tribunal found that Dr Ranson had "endured a period of torrid humiliation with stoic dignity until her health suffered".

Responding to the tribunal's findings, Dr Ranson said: "The tribunal's decision is not just a victory for me, it is also a victory for the principle of whistleblowing and for doctors having the freedom and independence to speak the truth."

The tribunal said a separate hearing would be held to discuss a remedy which could include compensation.

The Isle of Man government has been contacted for comment.

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