Bristol heart surgeon loses claim over sacking

A surgeon involved in the Bristol heart babies scandal who claimed he was sacked unfairly has lost his claim for unfair dismissal.

Janardan Dhasmana, 60, was sacked in September 1998 in relation to the abnormally high death rate among children having cardiac surgery at the Bristol Royal Infirmary between 1988 and 1995.

He was dismissed by United Bristol Healthcare Trust, which runs the hospital, when he was found guilty of serious professional misconduct by the General Medical Council.

But Mr Dhasmana claimed he had been made a "scapegoat" and brought a case for unfair dismissal and breach of contract to an employment tribunal in Bristol this month. He said the trust had been influenced by "lurid'' media publicity' and had not considered his case objectively.

But sources close to the case said yesterday all of Mr Dhasmana's claims had been dismissed by the tribunal.

Neither the trust nor solicitors for Mr Dhasmana would make any comment on the tribunal result.

The trust's chief executive, Hugh Ross, said Mr Dhasmana was sacked because he lost the "trust and confidence of his colleagues". Mr Dhasmana was banned from operating on children for three years in June 1998. Two other doctors were struck off.