Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

NHS whistleblower Shyam Kumar stands 'vindicated' after winning case against regulator for unfair sacking

He had reported concerns regarding inadequate hospital inspections, staff bullying and serious patient harm.

NHS whistleblower Shyam Kumar stands 'vindicated' after winning case against regulator for unfair sacking

An orthopaedic surgeon has been awarded compensation over his unfair dismissal from England’s health and adult social care regulator.

Shyam Kumar had raised patient safety concerns during his part-time job in the Care Quality Commission (CQC) as a special adviser on hospital inspections.

The Manchester Employment Tribunal ruled his disengagement by the employer in 2019 had been influenced by his whistleblowing efforts and found that the concerns he had raised were valid.

Kumar, who had claimed inadequate hospital inspections and complained of staff bullying, said, "The whole energy of a few individuals in the CQC was spent on gunning me down, rather than focusing on improvement to patient safety and exerting the regulatory duties."

A group of whistleblowing doctors was not allowed to discuss their concerns, he had claimed.

From 2015 till his dismissal, Kumar wrote to senior colleagues at the CQC with several serious concerns, the BBC reported.

He said a surgeon at Morecambe Bay had carried out “inappropriate” operations which had failed to meet quality parameters and harmed patients.

While Kumar said his warnings were buried under the carpet, the hospital regulator at a hearing denied that concerns went unheeded.

The doctor said he believed he was regarded as “a troublemaker within the CQC or as a thorn in their side”.

In its judgment, the tribunal said, "It is very clear that the emails and concerns raised by Mr Kumar had a material impact on the decision to disengage him".

The orthopaedic surgeon said, "From a personal point of view, I feel vindicated."

The hospital regulator said it “accepted” the tribunal findings and leant from the case.

“We have already improved many of our processes and will continue to review these based on the findings to ensure we make any further necessary changes,” the public body of the Department of Health said.

More For You

ve-day-getty

VE Day 80 street parties, picnics and community get togethers are being encouraged to take place across the country as part of the Great British Food Festival. (Photo: Getty Images)

Public invited to attend VE Day 80 procession and flypast

THE 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day will be marked with a military procession in London on May 5.

The event will include over 1,300 members of the Armed Forces, youth groups, and uniformed services marching from Parliament Square to Buckingham Palace.

Keep ReadingShow less
Knife crimes

Knife-enabled crimes include cases where a blade or sharp instrument was used to injure or threaten, including where the weapon was not actually seen.

Getty Images/iStockphoto

Knife crime in London accounts for a third of national total: ONS

KNIFE-RELATED crime in London made up almost a third of all such offences recorded in England and Wales in 2024, with the Metropolitan Police logging 16,789 incidents, according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Thursday.

This amounts to one offence every 30 minutes in the capital and represents 31 per cent of the 54,587 knife-enabled crimes reported across England and Wales last year. The total number marks a two per cent rise from 53,413 offences in 2023.

Keep ReadingShow less
Starmer and Modi

Starmer and Modi shake hands during a bilateral meeting in the sidelines of the G20 summit at the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Brazil, on November 18, 2024.

Getty Images

Starmer calls Modi over Kashmir attack; expresses condolences

PRIME MINISER Keir Starmer spoke to Indian prime minister Narendra Modi on Friday morning following the deadly attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam region that killed 26 people on Tuesday.

According to a readout from 10 Downing Street, Starmer said he was horrified by the devastating terrorist attack and expressed deep condolences on behalf of the British people to those affected, their loved ones, and the people of India. The two leaders agreed to stay in touch.

Keep ReadingShow less
 Post Office Horizon

A Post Office van parked outside the venue for the Post Office Horizon IT inquiry at Aldwych House on January 11, 2024 in London, England. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Post Office spent £600m to keep Horizon despite plans to replace it: Report

THE POST OFFICE has spent more than £600 million of public funds to continue using the Horizon IT system, according to a news report.

Despite deciding over a decade ago to move away from the software, the original 1999 contract with Fujitsu prevented the Post Office from doing so, as it did not own the core software code, a BBC investigation shows.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pahalgam attack: Prayer meet held at Indian mission in London

The prayer meet was led by Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami

Pahalgam attack: Prayer meet held at Indian mission in London

Mahesh Liloriya

A PRAYER meet was held at the Gandhi Hall in the High Commission of India in London on Thursday (24) to pay respects to the victims of the Pahalgam terrorist attack.

Chants of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ rang out at the event which was led by Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami.

Keep ReadingShow less