Stafford Hospital solicitor 'unfairly dismissed'

A solicitor has been awarded a six-figure sum after health bosses conceded she had been wrongfully dismissed from her job at the trust that runs Stafford Hospital.

Kate Levy, former head of Stafford Hospital's legal team, was awarded a £103,400 settlement following the collapse of an employment tribunal brought against Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust by 56-year-old Ms Levy.

She had argued that she was right to suppress damning evidence from an inquest that would have revealed a doctor's failure to diagnose internal bleeding that led to the death of a patient.

John Moore-Robinson, aged 20, from Coalville, Leicestershire, died following a mountain bike accident on Cannock Chase in 2006 after a junior doctor did not spot what was a ruptured spleen.

A hospital consultant asked to review the case for the coroner concluded his death was "avoidable" but was asked to change his report by Ms Levy.

She said it was in the best interests of the trust that the consultant's conclusions be left out of his report to avoid further stress to Mr Moore-Robinson's family and "adverse publicity."

Neither the original nor amended report were either submitted to the coroner. Ms Levy was suspended in 2010, then later sacked.

She lost an appeal against her dismissal during Spetember of that year and went on to initiate tribunal proceedings.

Tribunal chairman Colin Goodyear described the trust's decision to concede as "entirely appropriate." He also approved the sum awarded and wished Ms Levy best wishes for her future.

Health Commission investigators uncovered a shocking series of failings at the trust between January 2005 and March 2009. Mr Moore-Robinson's was one of up to 1,200 deaths investigated.