The island’s director of public health during the pandemic has claimed she was sacked, and did not retire as the government claimed at the time.
Dr Henrietta Ewart left in the aftermath of the Dr Rosalind Ranson tribunal, a process she described as ‘brutal and devastating’.
Having served as director of public health since December 2016, Dr Ewart’s departure was announced by the government on May 27 2022 in a statement which said that she had ‘left her role’ and ‘intends to retire’.
However, in her submission to the Kate Brunner review, Dr Ewart said she was sacked following the outcome of the Dr Ranson tribunal.
Dr Ewart said: ‘I was sacked from my post as director of public health on May 23 2022.
‘The events I described in my witness statement and to the tribunal had either been witnessed by others or had been documented, including in at least one email that was included in the court documents. Despite this, the tribunal judged and condemned me as a liar. This was publicised widely on island and beyond, and effectively destroyed my personal and professional reputation (and career) completely.
‘At no time did my employer (or the DHSC legal team) ask me what had happened or whether these findings were correct or offer me any opportunity to feed into a decision by DHSC to challenge them.’
She said she was told that DHSC was considering an appeal and that she would be contacted to provide input.
But she added: ‘I was not contacted. Instead, I was called into a meeting with the interim Chief Secretary who told me my “position is untenable” and I should “go quickly [I interpreted this to mean leave the island as well as my job] because it’s going to get very much worse for you” [I took this to mean in terms of public hostility].’
She added that her treatment by the government left her with ‘symptoms of severe anxiety, depression and, initially, suicidal ideation’.
‘I have continued to find any mention of Isle of Man or Covid “triggering” as, indeed, I have found the experience of engaging with this review process.’