Gideon Lauffer was dismissed by his employer, Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, on 25 June

Published 11 August 2009, doi:10.1136/bmj.b3300
Cite this as: BMJ 2009;339:b3300

News

Surgeon wins court injunction against dismissal

Adrian O’Dowd

A consultant surgeon has won a temporary injunction at the HighCourt to stop his employer giving him the sack in a case thathas been hailed as a strong warning to NHS trusts to followcontractual procedures.

Gideon Lauffer was dismissed by his employer, Barking, Haveringand Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, on 25 June, afterthe trust said it had lost confidence in him over alleged concernsabout his capability and conduct as a surgeon.

The High Court, in granting the interim injunction, said thatthe trust may have breached contractual disciplinary proceduresand that it must continue treating him as an employee.

In his judgment Mr Justice Holroyde said that by failing tofollow the procedures set out by the Department of Health inMaintaining High Professional Standards in the Modern NHS MrLauffer’s employers may have unfairly denied him the opportunityto respond to criticisms and . . . [Full text of this article]

Gideon Lauffer was dismissed by his employer, Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, on 25 June, after the trust said it had lost confidence in him over alleged concerns about his capability and conduct as a surgeon.

Gideon Lauffer was dismissed by his employer, Barking, Haveringand Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, on 25 June, afterthe trust said it had lost confidence in him over alleged concernsabout his capability and conduct as a surgeon.