‘Sacked' surgeon urges States members to stand up for justice

Monday 30 January 2017

A ‘sacked' surgeon whose case has prompted a vote of no confidence in the States Employment Board - which is led by the Chief Minister - has written an open letter to all States members ahead of this week's debate, urging them to "...stand up for justice."

Jersey-educated Dr Amar Alwitry claims he was ‘sacked’ just weeks before taking up his post as an eye surgeon at the General Hospital in December 2012. He says he still hasn’t been formally told what he did wrong, but believes it may have been because he raised issues over patient safety. It is also alleged he was refusing to work on a Saturday – something he denies.

The case has already prompted a number of investigations and counter-investigations with the States Employment Board claiming it has done nothing wrong, and the States Complaints Board continually slamming the actions of the SEB. The confidence vote has been brought by Deputy Mike Higgins. 

In his letter to States members Mr Alwitry says despite attempting to come to a deal with the SEB its refused to cooperate. He now feels he has no choice but to take legal action, potentially suing for defamation in the High Court in London. He says he regrets this because of the amount of taxpayers’ money the SEB is going to spend defending its actions.

In his letter Mr Alwitry says: “I hope that States members will stand up for justice… I have been told a hundred times that this spirit of cover up is the ‘Jersey way’ but it does not have to be like that. With the focus of the world on the Island as a tax haven we have to make sure that cover-ups do not happen.”

States Members will decide whether they still have confidence in the States Employment Board this week. 

The Board has issued its comments ahead of the debate, arguing:

"The SEB, in its comment, strongly refutes that there is any need for a vote of no confidence on this or any other matter in relation to its accountabilities. The States Assembly is invited to reject the proposition. 

"...in certain employment matters, a dismissal may be justified when the integrity or competence of the employee is not in issue but where the cause for concern is personality and the inability of the employee to build and maintain essential working relationships with others in the workplace. 

"The SEB is of the view that, far from there being a vote of no confidence in its handling of the Alwitry case, it has conducted in detail and over a considerable period of time, a detailed review of the HSSD decision to rescind the contract offered to Mr. Alwitry. It has assured itself that the outcome was the correct one. It has accepted that whilst there were procedural irregularities, Mr. Alwitry`s behaviours meant that there was irrevocable breakdown in the employment relationship such that HSSD had no alternative but to dismiss if they wished to maintain a positive and strong clinical leadership in the Hospital delivering high quality and safe patient care to the Island."