What should happen?
Jeremy Hunt as lead for Department of Health need to now act and help. Time is running out for me as I will be left homeless with cancer. His predecessor, Andrew Lansley, stood by and did nothing. Jeremy Hunt must not do the same. He needs to action his promises about protecting whistle-blowers .
There has been endless media coverage about my case and yet no one has intervened or put a stop to this scandalous situation
My income and pension needs to be secured at least until my retirement. Nothing can be done now about my health. I lost my job by acting responsibly and raising concerns in order to protect the public and patients
My raised concerns must be independently investigated. Individuals held to account and pay back all of the tax payers’ hard earned money obtained by deceptive means and face disciplinary procedures
Managers who are implicated, by turning a blind eye to fraud must be held accountable
Senior managers must be held accountable to their treatment of me as a whistle-blower. Instead of ‘pat on the back’, I received marching orders
What is the best way forward?
contact Jeremy Hunt
Contact your MP
Write to the press. Public need to be made aware as to what price NHS whistle-blowers have to pay in order to make NHS safe and precious hard earned tax payers money is spent appropriately – on patients!
SHARMILA CHOWDHURY 
Dear Sharmila Chowdhury,
I was told about this website – and its content – last weekend.
At first glance it does appear most worrying in terms of your records ( ie the facts and the implications ), and also very worrying in relation to your personal treatment as a whistle-blower.
I wanted to see what the present ( June 2014 ) position is in terms of your revelations and conflict with Ealing Hospital, the arrangements now in place in the Radiology Department at Ealing, and the most up to date responses to you from the Health Secretary and the Department of Health. Also, I wanted to see how and where your records have been challenged by the Trust. I presume that your records have been challenged . . . otherwise why did they suspend you?
Perhaps all of that information is present on your website. If so, please direct me to it. I refer specifically to the events that directly involved and continue to involve you and the Ealing Hospital Department of Radiology and the Hospital’s Managers.
Initially, this appears to be truly shocking. I find it hard to believe that ” nothing has been done in Radiology ” at Ealing apart from sacking you. A State of Play section alongside diary dates on your website would be very helpful to those of us who are shocked and appalled at what we have read on your website and who wish to see what is presently occurring in regard to you, to the Radiology Department, and with the Medical Director, and with the CEO at Ealing Hospital as a direct consequence of your whistle-blowing at Ealing Hospital.
Best wishes,
Yours sincerely,
Gerald de Lacey FRCR.
Dear Gerald,
Firstly, my concerns were never independently investigated, despite the seriousness of it. It was looked into Parkhill, employed by the trust. In fact they also found concerns & colluded with managers
Click to access fraud-11.pdf
My reported concerns:
Click to access fraud-11.pdf
Click to access correspondences-relating-to-moonlighting2.pdf
Click to access over-claiming-of-overtimes.pdf
The trust suspended following verbal false counter allegations, for which there wasn’t even a shred of evidence. Following dismissal, I took the matter to interim relief hearing, which is available to those who have been unfairly dismissed as a direct result of whistleblowing. I won this. So, proving I was dismissed due to whistleblowing & not because I had done anything wrong. Trust refused to let me return to work, when asked by the judge. I also won the internal appeal, for which the trust employed an independent investigator – trust again refused to let me back informing department of health that due to new technology, my post is now redundant. Although my post was subsequently filled with someone without any radiology background.
I had written to DH, NHS London, CQC, No 10 and the Treasury. No one wanted to investigate. Met with Sir David Prior at CQC following a presentation of my case. He was in the audience and was appalled. Even new CQC is not looking into investigating the trust. 4 radiology consultants have left since my departure as the environment was toxic and they were being bullied. one and only senior radiology nurse who worked in the department for 30 years was also removed from the department after voicing her support for me, despite other consultants speaking up in support of her. I had 12 staff members who spoke up for me which trust ignored
Click to access character-references-from-staff.pdf
I now have breast and lung cancer and due to blacklisting have been unable to get jobs. Will be losing my home soon. https://sharmilachowdhury.com/blacklisting-of-whistleblowers/
David Prior wrote directly to Hunt to help me. As did Stephen Dorrell, Chair of Health Select Committee. Met with Hunt’s special advisor, who promised to help. However, 2 months later nothing happened. So, I wrote yet another letter to Hunt, copying in MP’s and journalists. Received phone call from Hunt’s SpAd who was not happy. He forwarded a letter from DH https://sharmilachowdhury.com/2014/06/01/letter-from-doh-3052014/
Following this letter from DH I sent the following copying in numerous MPs and 70 journalists https://sharmilachowdhury.com/2014/06/03/letter-to-jeremy-hunt-2-help-justice-for-sharmila-chowdhury/
I never had such a speedy response. Hunt responded by the same afternoon and agreed to meet 6 of us and several other whistleblowers. We asked unanimously for a public inquiry into all our 6 cases, so lessons can be learned and future whistleblowers can be protected.
I also received a phone call the day after the letter was sent, stating they will try and find me a job in a non foundation trust. There are 2 near me. Still waiting to hear.
Hunt has recently announced that there will be an independent review into whistleblowing. This falls short of an inquiry. However, a step int he right direction for NHS whistleblowers.
I am still on the fast track to losing my home. I have now written again, asking that my pay and pension is reinstated while work is being found. I have yet to have any response.
The medical director has been promoted to deputy CEO.
CEO left the trust to join North Middlesex Hospital after ITV undertook undercover surveillance and found 2 radiology consultants (including the clinical director) taking direct payments for private ultrasounds which went into their account. Both consultants are still in post.
HR director is also still in post.
Hope this is helpful.
Best wishes
Sharmila
Dear Sharmila Chowdhury,
Thank you for your reply. It will take me time to digest the various attachments included in your response.
I am absolutely shocked by what appears to have occurred. I plan to write to the Ealing Medical Director and the ealing CEO and ask what part of your very detailed accusations is incorrect.
Incidentally, has anyone contacted the GMC or the President at the Royal College of Radiologists? Your accusations are very explicit and if substantiated are very damaging to the Medical profession and to the reputation of UK radiologists . . . let alone to the NHS and its management..
How has your Society ( Radiographers) responded to these events and to your sacking?
Yours sincerely,
Gerald de Lacey FRCR
Dear Gerald,
William (Bill Lynn) was the medical Director, is now the deputy CEO. Julie Lowe who was the cEO has left and is working at North Middlesex.
When asked by The Evening Standard recently, Bill Lynn claimed that the then CEO had commissioned an independent investigation & found nothing. There hasn’t been an independent investigation, and what there has, confirmed what I was saying. The 1st link to your last letter will show you this. As will the links to the evidences I have sent.
I haven’t contacted RCR, but recently had contacted GMC. I sent them my scanned documents as despite asking for their address to post evidences etc, they hadn’t. They rejected scanned documents saying that cannot accept these. So, they have now closed it!!
The Society of Radiographers were supportive up to a point where money needed to paid for legal costs for my interim relief hearing. The rep said he would speak up for me in court. I ended up funding my own legal costs. Once you use lawyers, SOR stay away and not get involved. So, basically had to fund everything myself. My legal costs escalated to £130,000 on a no win, no pay basis. Ended up paying £77,500 out of the 2 year settlement which I received. wasn’t left with much.
Kind regards
Sharmila