Bhatti instructs lawyers and signals legal claim against GHA

The former Director of Public Health, Dr Sohail Bhatti, has instructed lawyers to initiate legal action against the Gibraltar Health Authority over what he claims is a substantive breach of contract.

Dr Bhatti’s lawyer, Suresh Mahtani, said his client had taken the step after protracted negotiations failed to resolve the contractual dispute.

So far there is no claim filed in court, but a pre-action letter has been sent and the GHA has 28 days to respond.

On Tuesday, Dr Bhatti told the Chronicle he was “deeply, deeply disappointed it has come to this”.

He declined to go into detail on the nature of the dispute at this stage, other than to claim the GHA as employer had failed in its duty of care to him.

Dr Bhatti left the post of Director of Public Health in July 2021 after his contract was not renewed.

At the time, the Gibraltar Government said the decision not to renew his contract was part of a plan to eventually ‘localise’ the role, which is currently being filled on an interim basis by Dr Helen Carter.

Asked for a reaction to Tuesday’s development, the GHA said: “As of this moment nothing has been received by the GHA from either Dr Bhatti or lawyers on his behalf in relation to any claim against the Gibraltar Health Authority.”