Dr Rosalind Ranson has said that neither review into the island’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic and or the treatment she received will uncover the truth.
The Isle of Man’s former top medic, who was awarded over £3m by an employment tribunal for her treatment at the hands of the government, has said she will play no role in either review.
In an open letter to Alf Cannan from Professor Philip Banfield, chair of council of the British Medical Association (BMA), said that the government has continued to fail to disclose key documents and again asked for the Westminster government to intervene.
Prof Banfield said: ‘It was clear at the time that the proposed review into the handling of the Dr Ranson case would be insufficient.
‘The review has no powers to compel witnesses to provide evidence and must rely on the Isle of Man Government disclosing documents voluntarily.
‘Given the serious and potentially unlawful issues exposed during the Tribunal with respect to disclosure and the destruction of documents by the Government, it is impossible to have faith that these obligations will be met.’
He goes on to reference the issuing of legal letters to journalist Paul Moulton, saying that this, in the view of the BMA, ‘demonstrates, once again, that your Government continues to exhibit the behaviours evident in the treatment of Dr Ranson, namely, a failure to comply with legal obligations and the attempt to isolate, threaten or humiliate individuals to silence them’.
Prof Banfield said that the BMA is ‘not satisfied that the Isle of Man’s Covid Review, and the review into the handling of Dr Ranson’s case, to be conducted by Richard Wright KC... will be able to uncover the truth and hold those accountable responsible for their actions given their reliance on the Isle of Man acting with integrity and honesty.
'Both truth and accountability are of fundamental importance to healthcare staff who worked to care for people during the pandemic, as well as those families who sadly lost loved ones, or themselves been affected by Covid-19.
‘For all of the reasons stated above Dr Ranson has no confidence in either review and has advised me that she will not be participating in neither. Dr Ranson had considered taking part in the Covid Review but having learned that key documents are not available to the Review and further documents have been deleted she is not willing to participate in what she considers is a sham that will not represent the truth of what occurred.’
Dr Ranson said: ‘I welcome the publication of this letter and the ongoing support of the BMA.
'Doctors must continue to speak up when they witness wrongdoing, so that patients are protected from harm.
'The culture in the NHS must change.
'It is not acceptable that the career of a doctor who speaks up is destroyed.
'Those people who are responsible for subjecting whistleblowers to harm must be investigated and held to account.
'In my case, that has not happened; on the contrary, wrongdoers have been publicly praised and rewarded and many continue to work in positions of high office.
‘I call on the public to support those doctors who lose their careers as a result of whistleblowing. If we can create a world where a doctor can raise concerns without that doctor becoming the focus of reprisals, then this may be the greatest service we can do for all patients, who in turn will receive safer care.’
Prof Banfield has also written to the Secretary of State for Justice Alex Chalk MP.
Both the Westminster and Manx governments, as well as Ms Brunner KC, have been asked to respond.