A doctor at Lister Hospital, just outside London, who had PTSD and was unfairly dismissed, has been awarded more than £100 000 in compensation, with the judge slamming the NHS trust for failing to follow its own internal illness policy.
Vladimir Filipovich, who specialised in trauma and orthopaedics, had worked for the East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust for 20 years when he was fired in 2019 after allegations that he had been drunk on duty, had not disclosed a diagnosis of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), and had not taken prescription medicine.
The judge said there had been “a wholesale failure” by the NHS trust to undertake a reasonable investigation, and “a complete failure” to follow its own internal illness policy, reports The Comet.
The ruling mentioned two instances where the claimant was found to be drunk at work – which had not been disputed – but the judgment attributed this to “extreme stress” caused by “poor treatment” by the NHS trust.
Filipovich was diagnosed with PTSD after working as a trauma doctor on the frontline in field hospitals in the conflict in Bosnia, where he was exposed to severely injured and dying patients.
As a consequence of his PTSD – a recognised disability – he said he experiences flashbacks, memory loss, exhaustion and an inability to concentrate.
The East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust has now been ordered to pay him £101 906.50 in compensation, including £86 444.00 for his loss of earnings.
The tribunal judge found that there was a 30% chance, “had the NHS trust followed a fair procedure”, that he would not have been dismissed and would have been offered an alternative, non-patient-facing role.
A spokesperson for the Trust said a revised sickness absence policy had now been put in place.
The Comet article – Sacked Stevenage doctor with PTSD awarded £100k compensation (Open access)
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
High COVID-related depression, anxiety and PTSD among health workers — Meta-analysis
Prazosin no better than a placebo for PTSD – US Veterans Affairs
Neglecting doctors’ mental health poses risks for profession