AN OUT-OF-COURT SETTLEMENT is likely in the dispute between cardiologist Dr Richard Ishmael and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH).
Sources told the SATURDAY?SUN on Thursday that negotiations should soon begin on Ishmael’s complaint that the hospital breached his contract when he was suspended on full pay last December 10.
“There’s always scope for settlement before a matter goes to trial. An opportunity is always available,” attorney Hal Gollop said when contacted.
Gollop and Michael Yearwood are representing the QEH in the civil suit brought by the paediatric consultant.
Leslie Haynes, QC, who is representing Ishmael along with Laura Duncan, refused to comment when asked about reported plans for an out-of-court settlement.
The civil suit, which was to be heard last week, has now been set for March 14 and 15 to give both sides an opportunity to come to an agreement, the sources added.
In his civil suit, Ishmael asked the High Court to restrain management of the hospital from holding an inquiry into the circumstances surrrounding his suspension.
In the highly publicized dispute between Ishmael and the QEH, the hospital charged that he used QEH letterhead stationery last November 17 to address a concern involving Dr Alfred Sparman and Minister of Health Donville Inniss.
Less than three weeks after his suspension, Ishmael was recalled to the hospital’s Paediatric and Neo-natal Intensive Care Units to attend to two serious cases.
In a related development, an Ethics Conference of the University of the West Indies Faculty of Medical Sciences scheduled to be held last Saturday in the QEH’s auditorium was cancelled. Some doctors suggested this was done to avoid discussion on the Ishmael versus QEH issue.
According to a memo from Dr Maisha Emmanuel, chairman of the Ethics Conference, permission was not granted by the QEH’s CEO Dr Dexter James to use the auditorium for the presentation Ethics In Professional Conduct – Making A Complaint.
Emmanuel pledged in the note that “this matter will be pursued further as we are of the opinion that this presentation will be beneficial to all medical practitioners”.