In response to recent coverage around former member of staff, Mr Martyn Pitman, a spokesperson at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 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. Mr Pitman has not been actively working at the hospital for two years and the questions surrounding his dismissal will be resolved at an Employment Tribunal later this year.
“We actively encourage our staff to raise any concerns they have in a number of different ways and support those who do so. The trust ensured that all issues raised by Mr Pitman were thoroughly and impartially investigated, including in some instances through external review. Every effort was made to repair his relationships with the maternity and clinical colleagues in question – efforts which were unfortunately unsuccessful.
“We are increasingly concerned that Mr Pitman’s representation of the reasons for his dismissal could discourage others from raising important issues.
“Patient safety remains our top priority, and our maternity teams work exceptionally hard together to provide the best care to our patients. We are proud to be fully recruited to midwives, and of the progress being made to offer the best possible service to those in our care.”
