Former health minister 'not aware' of all issues behind vaccine delay

David Ashford gives evidence at employment tribunal

The former health minister says he was unaware issues other than indemnity delayed the Island's vaccine rollout.

It was one of a number of topics David Ashford was questioned about while giving evidence at Dr Rosalind Ranson's employment and equality tribunal against the Department of Health and Social Care.

Mr Ashford, who is now the treasury minister, confirmed he was aware the medical director had not signed off a document relating to the vaccine rollout due to concerns over the indemnity.

Dr Ranson previously told the tribunal that other factors also prevented the first jabs being administered until January 2021, including a lack of consent form, but Mr Ashford insists he hadn’t been told about these issues.

He also said he believed the uncertainty around indemnity had been resolved by the time Dr Ranson had to sign it off, but the tribunal previously heard this wasn’t the case.

The Douglas North MHK said he could only go off information given to him by former DHSC CEO Kathryn Magson.

Mr Ashford’s interactions with Dr Rachel Glover, the scientist responsible for setting up on-Island PCR testing, were also discussed.

An extract from Dr Glover’s statement highlighted that she had ‘deep concerns’ her reports on testing capacity were not reaching the Council of Ministers, echoing concerns raised by Dr Ranson.

The tribunal heard that she had arranged a one to one meeting with the health minister, but ahead of the appointment claims the pathology manager at Noble’s Hospital had been ‘given grief’ by Miss Magson about the meeting. Mr Ashford denied telling Miss Magson about the meeting.

Mr Segal questioned Mr Ashford about a series of tweets relating to Dr Glover’s employment status, accusing the minister of being ‘not entirely transparent’ on the topic – something Mr Ashford denied.

Mr Ashford had posted on social media that he’d checked Dr Glover’s employment status with HR, but the scientist’s data access request showed he’d emailed Miss Magson, although he added that he had also phoned HR.

He also denied telling Miss Magson about the concerns Dr Ranson raised with then-education minister Dr Alex Allinson about her reports not reaching Minister Ashford, insisting that was a conversation that would have stayed between the two ministers.

The former health minister was asked about a letter from the now retired Director of Children and Family Services Debbie Brayshaw, which raised concerns about Miss Magson’s treatment of Dr Ranson.

Miss Brayshaw previously told the tribunal she sent the letter through government’s internal mail on her final working day, but Mr Ashford says he never received it, and that if he had he would have relayed those concerns to the chief secretary.

Mr Ashford was asked about his own treatment of Dr Ranson at a meeting to discuss a report she was working on.

She informed the minister it would not be ready that week, which he told her was unacceptable, having believed work on the report had been underway for months, when it was actually just days.

Asked whether he accepted this caused Dr Ranson embarrassment, he said he couldn’t comment on how she felt, but that she didn’t seem embarrassed at the time.

In his own statement to the tribunal, Mr Ashford said Dr Ranson can’t deal with people disagreeing with her, but an email to a colleague showed him praising the medical director.

He clarified that everyone had passionate views, but that doesn’t make a person unprofessional.

Mr Ashford said he was not at all invested in protecting Miss Magson, but that she was an excellent CEO at the DHSC.

Dr Ranson alleges that she was unfairly dismissed from her role as medical director, something the department denies.