Police surgeon agrees settlement after row over security vetting

A SENIOR police surgeon has settled a racism case after claiming that security vetting discriminated against non-white doctors.

Dr Imraan Jhetam, 48, of Exeter, said vetting by MI5 had stopped some black doctors from working for the police but had not barred a single white candidate.

Dr Jhetam, who was also at the centre of another race row involving a judge, has agreed an undisclosed settlement after he was dismissed from Avon & Somerset Police.

An employment tribunal in Exeter heard how he was dismissed after failing to disclose a warning from the General Medical Council while being vetted for the job as forensic medical examiner.

The GMC's website shows on November 10, 2006, he was warned about the quality of his work and told he needed to improve parts of his practice, including resuscitation.

Dr Jhetam and the force reached a settlement just 90 minutes into a scheduled four-day tribunal.

He was claiming racial discrimination and his barrister Debbie Grennan said he had several grounds for his case.

She said Avon & Somerset informed other forces about his suspension, reported him to the GMC and mounted a criminal investigation into his conduct.

Dr Jhetam, who also worked for Devon & Cornwall, Norfolk and Lancashire police forces, told the tribunal he did not declare his GMC warning during vetting because he did not think it relevant to security.

He said he didn't think it would leave him open to blackmail.

He said: “The warning from the GMC was in the public domain on their website. I do not believe there was any omission in my vetting document.”

Jim Arnold, for the police authority, questioned Dr Jhetam over his claims that the vetting process is discriminatory.

He disputed the doctor's statement, which said: “Clearly, only non-whites were refused clearance while those of white origin were routinely allowed to work.”

Mr Arnold pointed out that Dr Jhetam and other non-white doctors were also cleared through vetting and that other cases were delayed by the need to make checks abroad.

Mr Arnold also suggested there had been complaints about the standard of Dr Jhetam's work.

Both sides said they did not want to comment after the case.

South African-born Dr Jhetam had been at the centre of an earlier race row when a judge was forced to explain remarks made in court.

Judge Paul Darlow questioned why 36-year- old Matthew Stiddard had been taken to Exeter Crown Court for telling the police surgeon in August 2006: “F**k off you Paki, I want an English doctor not a f**king Paki.”

Stiddard escaped with a conditional discharge and £45 costs for racially aggravated abusive behaviour.

The judge told him: “Next time call him a fat b*****d and do not say anything about his colour.”

Dr Jhetam is currently suspended by the GMC under an order made by an interim panel on May 29.

An earlier order was made shortly after his dismissal from Avon & Somerset Police last August, which required him to disclose his GMC warning to any future employers.