Sacked Hampshire doctor Martyn Pitman in first interview with ITV

Consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist Martyn Pitman has denied breaching his contract with Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (HHFT) after being fired in March.

The Winchester doctor, who has received support from more than 1,000 former patients and colleagues to be re-instated, said he was fired for being a whistle-blower after raising concerns surrounding midwife safety in 2019.

Mr Pitman was told his appeal hearing was unsuccessful on Thursday, May 25. In an interview with ITV Meridian, on Friday, May 26 the highly esteemed consultant said he is “certain that this is the end of his career”.

READ MORE: Fired Hampshire doctor Martyn Pitman breaks silence on dismissal

He said: “My concerns were with midwifery staffing levels, deteriorating midwifery morale, the loss of what I thought were some of our most experienced and valued midwives, high absenteeism rate of midwives through sickness and the fact that on the daily basis we were being expected to cover our clinical service with far fewer midwives than were recommended to provide a safe level of care.”

Mr Pitman believes he went through the proper channels but was told by the trust the decision was down to an “irretrievable breakdown in his relationship with senior management”.

He continued: “I was doing what I thought was the appropriate thing to do and I never dreamt that I’d end up threatening and terminating my career.

“It’s been a devastating end to a really traumatic four-year period. Having worked so very hard in the city where I was born, educated, grew up and I undertook part of my training. The proudest day in my career has taken me to the darkest places that I could ever imagine.

“I’m certain this is the end of my career.”

SEE ALSO: Hampshire Hospitals NHS Trust fire 'life-saving' doctor Martyn Pitman

Despite Mr Pitman’s beliefs, a spokesperson for HHFT said: “No member of staff has ever been dismissed as a result of whistleblowing or raising concerns around patient safety.

"The trust actively encourages staff to speak up when they have concerns, and takes all complaints, including grievances and whistleblowing, extremely seriously.

"Each is handled impartially, professionally and in line with robust policies. In certain cases, this includes the commissioning of independent reports/ reviews by outside experts to ensure the highest levels of scrutiny. In addition, every effort is made to support the health and wellbeing of those involved in what can be a challenging process.”

The sacked doctor has the backing of more than 1,000 friends, colleagues and patients, who have posted photos and heartfelt messages on the Facebook group “Friends of Martyn Pitman”, with many saying the obstetrician had saved their lives.

Additionally, the British Medical Association (BMA) has publicly given its support as Mr Pitman looks ahead to the employment tribunal in October.

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BMA chair Professor Phil Banfield said: “It is unacceptable that a doctor cannot raise concerns about the safe care of their patients or of hospital procedures without the very real possibility they will lose their job and suffer unimaginable stress across often long and drawn-out legal processes.

“Decisions like the one in the case of Mr Martyn Pitman rarely result in improvements to patient care and do even less to encourage other doctors or healthcare staff from speaking up at a time when it is crucial that someone does. This is not to mention the profound and often devastating impact they have on a doctor’s personal and working life and the knock-on impact on their family.

“Unfortunately, Mr Pitman’s case is not isolated and highlights a very worrying culture in our NHS – a culture of punishing those who dare to speak out about failings in patient safety. This needs to change and the BMA will continue to be at the forefront of supporting doctors like Mr Pitman and campaigning for cultural and legal reform.”