Dr A Williams v Lincolnshire Integrated Voluntary Emergency Service

Doctor dismissed after flawed internal investigation

Dr Williams, a Community Emergency Medicine Doctor employed by the Lincolnshire Integrated Voluntary Emergency Service (LIVES), was summarily dismissed in February 2024 following allegations of bullying, making reckless statements about a colleague’s competence, and breaching confidentiality. Dr Williams had repeatedly raised concerns about the clinical competency of a trainee Advanced Clinical Practitioner, including escalating those concerns to EMAS and the HCPC.

The investigation attracted significant judicial criticism.

First, the internal investigation was led by Mr Shingler, LIVES’ Clinical Governance Manager, who had also been involved in events giving rise to the concerns he investigated. This dual role meant he was neither detached nor neutral, and the tribunal noted he even submitted one of the Learning Events used as evidence, yet did not identify himself as the author in his witness statement or the investigation report. This omission created what the tribunal described as an inherent problem of impartiality.

Second, the tribunal found it “overwhelmingly likely” that at least one Learning Event was encouraged by senior figures such as the CEO or Director of Operations, rather than arising organically.

Third, the structure of the investigation was further faulted for the unequal treatment of witness evidence. Witnesses supporting disciplinary action were anonymised, while those supporting Dr Williams were dismissed at the outset as likely to carry “little weight”, before being interviewed. This pre-judgment, the tribunal held, suggested a process skewed toward confirming allegations rather than fairly testing them.

Dr A Williams v Lincolnshire Integrated Voluntary Emergency Service

Judgment: https://lnkd.in/esrvy5_p