Legal news

"Whistle blower" wins over £1 million in compensation

Jonathan Winston Jonathan Winston
1 min read

A former hospital boss who was sacked after opposing plans to transfer some cancer services has been awarded £1.2m in compensation.

John Watkinson, who was chief executive of the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust (RCHT), was sacked in 2009. He claimed that this was because he had argued against plans to move some cancer services from Cornwall to Devon.

The employment tribunal into his dismissal ruled that that the decision taken by the trust was ‘substantively unfair’ as Mr Watkinson was about to reveal legal advice which suggested that the trust should have held a public consultation before moving services to Plymouth. The RCHT admitted that it unfairly dismissed Mr Watkinson but is appealing against the ruling that their former chief executive was a whistle blower.

Last month the Independent Reconfiguration Panel approved the transfer of services from Cornwall to Devon, saying that it was in the patients’ best interests as it would provide a better standard of care. The move was also supported by the Health Secretary Andrew Lansley.

More Winston Solicitors news

Client feedback

Really pleased with the service from Olivia Cooke and the team as a first time buyer - process was really efficient and clear from start to finish. Thanks all!
Jennifer
We used Winston's to arrange our Power of Attorney and our solicitor, Emily Spencer, was very professional and efficient, and a pleasure to work with.
John
Excellent service throughout! Highly recommend.
Sophie
Can’t thank Harriet and Hannah from the Family Law department enough for their help and support while navigating a difficult year. Their professionalism was second to none - I would recommend Winton Solicitors to any and all seeking legal advice.
Sally
We can highly recommend the services provided. Our solicitor was extremely thorough and professional and we were always assured that matters were being dealt with in timely manner. Winston Solicitors conveyancing services were recommended to us and we were very satisfied. If we need any further legal assistance in the future we will not hesitate to use them again.
Julia
I do not think that the service we received could be improved. We were treated like friends rather than clients - December 2025
David B, Leeds
Can’t thank Stacey enough, she was very professional and very helpful. - December 2025
Anonymous, Portsmouth
Sam and Paulo were just wonderful. Communications were clear and timely and they were always very professional. A pleasure to deal with, thank you! - December 2025
Sally A, Knaresborough
Contact us