Leeds Mercury – Friday 05 November 1937

Hospital Doctors Resigning

New Step at Mexborough

Members of the consultant and medical staffs at the Mexborough Montagu Hospital decided, at a meeting to-night, to tender their resignations to the Board of Management. This decision, which was not generally expected, was a climax to differences which have arisen after the dismissal of the senior house surgeon, Dr. Phyllis D. Leslie, on Wednesday of last week.

The Medical Committee threatened to resign unless she was reinstated forthwith. Her dismissal was ordered by an Emergency Committee and at a meeting of the Board of Management on Wednesday it was decided to appoint a sub-committee to investigate the whole situation and report back.

The committee was to be composed of nine members of the Board, including two women and two doctors. In the meantime the dismissal notice was temporarily withdrawn.

At a Meeting

Twenty-three of the 29 doctors on the staff attended to-night’s meeting of the Medical Committee and at its conclusion the secretary, Dr. J. A. R. Lee, reported that the following resolution had been adopted:—

We, the undersigned, state that as the senior house surgeon has not been reinstated forthwith and the suggestion by the Board of a committee to investigate is not satisfactory, because some members of that committee were members of the Emergency Committee and that the proposed medical members of the committee are in a minority, hereby give 14 days’ notice of resignation, dated as from Monday, November 8.

” Interests of Patients

Another resolution to be carried was as follows:

That do not wish our interests to prejudice the interests cf the patients, so 14 days’ notice is given, which is ample time for the Board to make arrangements to provide the treatment which they contract to give to their subscribers.”

All the doctors present, who included three consultants, signed the document, and the remainder arc expected to sign in a day or two. The resolutions will then be sent to the Secretary Superintendent of the Hospital, Mr  N. Drake.