Director of Public Health – I Was Sacked

The island’s Director of Public Health during the pandemic has said she did not retire as the gov claimed, but rather she was sacked.

Dr Ewart left in the aftermath of the Dr Rosalind Ranson tribunal, a process she described as ‘brutal and devastating’.

Having served as DPH since December 2016, Dr Ewart’s departure was announced by the government on May 27 2022.

That statement said: ‘Director of Public Health Dr Henrietta Ewart has left her role with the Isle of Man Government and intends to retire. Dr Ewart took up the post in December 2016 after serving as Interim Director of Public Health for a period of 18 months.’

However, in her submission to the Kate Brunner review, Dr Ewart said she was ‘sacked’ on May 23 2022 following the outcome of the Dr Ranson tribunal.

Dr Ewart said: ‘The events I described in my witness statement and to the tribunal had either been witnessed by others or had been documented, including in at least one email that was included in the court documents. Despite this, the tribunal judged and condemned me as a liar, this was publicised widely on island and beyond, and effectively destroyed my personal and professional reputation (and career) completely.

‘At no time did my employer (or the DHSC legal team) ask me what had happened or whether these findings were correct or offer me any opportunity to feed into a decision by DHSC to challenge them.’

Describing the events of her dismissal, Dr Ewart said: ‘I was called into a meeting with the interim Chief Secretary who told me my ‘position is untenable’ and I should ‘go quickly [I interpreted this to mean leave the island as well as my job] because it’s going to get very much worse for you’ [I took this to mean in terms of public hostility].’

She added that her treatment by the government left her with ‘symptoms of severe anxiety, depression and, initially, suicidal ideation’.

Dr Ewart Bows Out