Hospital boss claims unfair dismissal after chairman 'bullied' her

A erstwhile NHS main enforcement is suing her employer, saying she was "bullied, harassed, intimidated and undermined" by the infirmary trust's chairman.

In ineligible papers, seen by BBC News, Dr Susan Gilby alleges she was efficaciously unfairly dismissed by the Countess of Chester NHS Foundation Trust, aft she made a ceremonial complaint.

She has besides accused the president of putting concern supra diligent safety.

In a statement, the spot said it denied each the allegations.

Dr Gilby, a advisor successful anaesthesia and intensive care, was appointed arsenic aesculapian manager and adjunct main enforcement of the NHS trust, successful August 2018.

Her accomplishment came a period aft caregiver Lucy Letby was arrested connected suspicion of murdering 7 babies and attempting to termination 10 others astatine 1 of the trust's hospitals successful Cheshire. Ms Letby's proceedings is ongoing and she denies the charges.

When the main enforcement resigned successful September that year, Dr Gilby was promoted to the role.

According to documents prepared for a forthcoming employment tribunal, Dr Gilby alleges the problems began erstwhile a caller chairman, Ian Haythornthwaite, was appointed successful precocious 2021.

She claims that soon aft joining the trust, Mr Haythornthwaite - a erstwhile BBC accountant - sought to "intervene and influence, and yet to control, galore operational matters" beyond the scope of his job.

Dr Gilby's assertion alleges that the president had an "extremely and unnecessarily aggressive" approach, with subordinates "increasingly frightened of crossing him".

She besides accuses him of appointing friends to the trust's committee and putting concern supra diligent safety.

Dr Gilby claims the president was "highly assertive and intimidatory" successful meetings, that helium banged his manus connected a table to emphasise his point, and oversaw a clime wherever "offensively sexist comments and ferocious and repetitive criticisms" were made by either him oregon his associates.

She made a ceremonial whistle-blowing ailment against the president successful July 2022, raising her concerns astir his behaviour to some the spot and NHS England.

The spot responded to her concerns, Dr Gilby claims, by proposing that she beryllium seconded to a elder advisory relation wrong NHS England connected the information she withdrew her allegations.

NHS England besides contacted her astir a role. Dr Gilby responded to the connection successful November saying she was not consenting to retreat her allegations; she was suspended by the spot connected 2 December. On 5 December, she gave the spot six months' announcement of her volition to resign.

Dr Gilby is suing the spot and Mr Haythornthwaite for constructive unfair dismissal.

In a statement, the Countess of Chester NHS Trust said: "There are important points of quality betwixt Dr Gilby and the spot and the spot denies each allegations that she has raised. A fig of progressive interior investigations are successful bid and the spot volition not supply immoderate further remark whilst those investigations are ongoing."

Mr Haythornthwaite said helium had "nothing to adhd astatine this time" to the trust's statement.