BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE UHMBT GOVERNORS MEETING

Whistle-blowers' anonymous...

             

Me with retired urologist Richard Wilson               Me with Mr Jakkula and Russell Dunkeld

I'd initially been tipped off about the extraordinary meeting of the UHMBT Council of Governors by an anonymous caller who rang me the week before. At this stage nothing had been confirmed about the reason for the meeting but I had no doubt that it would involve the urology investigation.

I was simply told: "You might want to attend." 

On my way into Westmorland General Hospital I met up with a couple of other whistle-blowers who had been in contact with me over recent weeks via social media; former staff nurse Russell Dunkeld and Srinivas Jakkula, consultant in intensive care and anaesthesia.

I was also approached by a former board member who thanked me for my work and assured me I had their support.

I was pleased, as we walked into the boardroom, to also see another UHMBT whistle-blower, radiographer Sue Allison, who is currently bringing an employment tribunal case against the trust.

Towards the end of the meeting I raised my hand to request to speak and was given the opportunity to do so.

I had been keen to flag up, not only to the board members but also to the governors and members of the public who were present, some of the issues which I felt they had not been made aware of to date.

I stated that I had no doubt that Peter Duffy would have been happy to attend the meeting, if he had not been working on the Isle of Man, and I spoke of how, following our hundreds of conversations over the last 12 months, I had no doubt that his intentions were honorable and that he was a genuinely decent man whose only concern was for patient safety and transparency.

I said that I had confidence in UHMBT chief executive Aaron Cummins and his bid to fully investigate all the concerns raised. I believe that Aaron has, in the past, been misled by others about the extent of the problem and that he has not been given the full facts.

I also made reference to further, more serious, allegations from current patients and their families which I have not yet been able to report, which of course I have highlighted with UHMBT.

There is a lot more to come out of this investigation...