The Tribune

By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

THE return of former Princess Margaret Hospital Medical Chief of Staff Dr James Johnson will depend on whether he receives an “apology” from Public Hospitals Authority Managing Director Herbert Brown, Consultant Physician Staff Association President Dr Locksley Munroe said yesterday.

Dr Munroe also told The Tribune that Mr Brown “unequivocally indicated his willingness” for Dr Johnson’s return, as well as a desire to “develop a more interactive relationship with the physician body” during a recent meeting with the Consultant Physician Staff Association (CPSA) president.

However, Dr Munroe told The Tribune that he, on behalf of Dr Johnson, sent a letter to Mr Brown yesterday, which stated that the former would not return to his old role “unless they apologise to him unequivocally for the manner in which they spoke to him.”

Dr Munroe told The Tribune that up until yesterday evening he had yet to receive a formal response from Mr Brown.

“Mr Brown indicated he would like to have a better form of communication between administrators and the senior physicians, and he has agreed with that,” Dr Munroe said when contacted by The Tribune. “But I don’t know if he is going to be willing to apologise to James, and James say he’s not coming back unless they apologise, because he’s not taking those kinds of insults.”

Dr Munroe’s comments were in reference to how Dr Johnson, just months into his second term as MCOS, resigned with immediate effect last week after reaching an impasse with the PHA over its decision to disregard recommendations by the physicians on the appointment of two foreign doctors.

According to sources close to the matter, Dr Johnson’s suggestion was for the doctors to start at a lower salary ranking, with the option for review and promotion after one or two years; however, this was disregarded for a higher ranking at the beginning of their tenure, supported by Mr Brown.

The Tribune was advised that Dr Johnson’s recommendations were supported by the medical advisory committee. However, the recommendations were not supported by Mr Brown, who ultimately changed the proposal with the backing of the authority’s board.

Yesterday, Dr Munroe, in a statement, said that following a meeting with Mr Brown on the matter, the PHA managing director acknowledged that “timely and effective communication is a serious problem within the hospital,” and that “the hiring of these physicians was the final trigger” for Dr Johnson’s shock resignation.

Dr Munroe also said in his statement that Mr Brown is open to Dr Johnson resuming his former position; however, he referred to a letter by Dr Johnson in which the former Medical Chief of Staff demanded an apology from Mr Brown if any progress on his potential return is to be made.

“A letter was sent to Mr Brown concerning said matter,” Dr Munroe said. “So that letter is on record of having gone, but like I said whether or not he’s going to respond to it, that’s another story. Because like I said, James said he’s not coming back unless he gets the apology. And I sent the letter on to Mr Brown to indicate that that was the terms and conditions.

“The whole method or manner of doing things does not involve the managing director working in any kind of a congenial manner with anybody, because essentially he’s been able to do what he’s been doing for the last couple of years without query or question, and that’s part of the problem.

“What I was hoping for, really, was that having spoken with Mr Brown, having spoken with James Johnson, that somewhere along the line somebody was going to say ‘okay let’s start again,’ but I don’t see that at all.”

“I’m going to have to see what Mr Brown says to the letter that says ‘I am not coming back unless you apologize.’”

The Managing Chief of Staff position is a contractual peer-appointed post with a three-year term. Dr Johnson served from 2013 to 2016, and was reappointed for another term in July.

Dr Johnson has said that he decided to step down from the post after it became clear that officials had already proceeded with the recruitment exercise of the foreign doctors despite months of back-and-forth discussion over the changes.

“It put me in a terrible position, it’s either they need to change the decision or I need to withdraw myself from the process,” Dr Johnson had said earlier.