The director of Exeter’s breast cancer screening u
The director of Exeter’s breast cancer screening unit attacked hospital chiefs for ‘totally sidelining’ him from decision-making today (TUES).
Dr John Brennan claimed he was threatened and bullied by former Chief Executive Mark Taylor and considered resigning from his post in 1995.
Brennan, 47, faces a charge of serious professional misconduct for his botched diagnosis and chronic mismanagement of the service at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital between January 1991 and June 1997.
He claims the programme was ‘in trouble’ because of the pressures of underfunding, the increased over-50 population, cramped facilities and a shortage of staff.
Brennan, a consultant radiologist, said his concerns and proposals for expansion were raised at a meeting with hospital managers in July 1995.
‘By this stage we had all accepted it was less than acceptable the service we provided.
‘The unit itself was cramped, it would be fair to say, it was just a very very small unit.
There was no obvious scope for space in which to expand.
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But the dispute began when Dr Brennan refused to take on breast x-ray full time and drop his general radiology work.
He added: ‘I was extremely reluctant, I didn’t think I could cope emotionally with this.
It is hard work, a very stressed population, and I found sessions very demanding.
‘Mark Taylor was extremely upset.
He actually threatened me and said I might have no option but to change.
‘It was not a friendly meeting.
I felt they were trying to browbeat me.
‘
‘By this stage the symptomatic service was in trouble.
It wasn’t coping, there was no dispute about that whatsoever.
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Brennan claimed the Chief Executive took personal charge of the breast service from this meeting.
‘My role in the breast service changed fundamentally.
The impression I got was that I was being totally sidelined.
‘It seemed Mr Taylor was going to take a lead and the only role I had was advice on technical matters.
‘He was extremely upset that I was not agreeing to his desire for me to go full time.
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He added: ‘I felt extremely disillusioned from this meeting and I started thinking about alternative employment.
‘I though Mr Taylor was being totally unrealistic and frankly I thought he was trying to bully me.
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His barrister Nicola Davies QC said: ‘Are you a man who is easily bullied?”
Brennan replied: ‘No.
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Dr Brennan and fellow consultant radiologist Dr Graham Urquhart, 55, have already admitted failures in the cases of 58 women between January 1991 and June 1997.
The radiologist was trained in mammography beginning in the Nottingham Hospital Group from September 1981, later at the Royal Marsden, West Cornwall and the Royal Cornwall and City Hospitals, Truro.
Brennan, of 40a Highweek Village, Newton Abbot, Devon, and Urquhart, of The Farmhouse, 4 Higher Alston Farm, Alston Lane, Churston Ferrers, Brixham, Devon, both deny serious professional misconduct.
The hearing continues.
ends
addsideline.
