Setback for Hospital Whistleblower

The financial director of an NHS trust, who claims he (1) _______________ (to sack) for “telling the truth”, yesterday lost the first round in his fight (2) _______________ (to reinstate).

Ian Parkin, 52, said St. George’s Healthcare NHS trust dismissed him for exposing (3) _______________ (to falsify) operation cancellation figures and the poor state of finances, an employment tribunal heard yesterday. At an interim hearing at Croydon, south London, Mr Parkin lost his application (4) _______________ (to reinstate). (5) _______________ (to outline) the reasons, the tribunal chairman, Mark Houghton, said: “We are unable to see there’s a pretty good chance of the applicant (6) _______________ (to be) successful in establishing he was dismissed for making disclosures.”

After the hearing Mr Parkin said his chances of winning the interim hearing (7) _______________ (to be) slim. “I fear the trust will move swiftly to replace me and when I (8) _______________ (to win) the eventual hearing they (9) _______________ (to say) it (10) _______________ (to be) impossible to reinstate me.” He added: “There (11) ______________ (modal verb) be an investigation by ministers and senior officials as to just what happened at St. George’s.”

Mr Parkin suggested the chairman and chief executive of the trust (12) _______________ (to be) so anxious for it (13) _______________ (to award) the Department of Health’s top three-star rating that he (14) __________ (modal verb) (15) _____________ (to dismiss) from his £100,000-a-year post for whistle blowing.

The trust (16) _______________ (to meet) eight of nine key targets but (17) _______________ (to fail) to achieve the (18) ______________ (to require) level of cancelled operations so only (19) _______________ (to receive) two stars.

(From ‘The Guardian’, abridged)

Grammar in Speech

20. Supply the correct form of the verbs given in brackets and perform the role play given below. Adie Retreats from bbc Front Line

If there (1) _______________ (modal verb) to be a war, it will be fought without the forces’ sweetheart. Kate Adie, whose name (2) _______________ (to be) synonymous with disaster since she (3) _______________ (to find) herself on duty at the time of the Iranian embassy siege, (4) _______________ (to overtake) by the reporters with “cute bottoms”.

While Adie will continue to present From Our Own Correspondent on Radio 4, the BBC confirmed yesterday that she (5) _______________ (to leave) her post as chief news correspondent at BBC News, and (6) _______________ (not to replace). Despite (7) _______________ (to pay) £150,000 a year, Adie rarely appeared on screen after (8) _______________ (to fall) out of favour with BBC bosses.

Adie, 57, has criticized the trivialisation of television news, (9) _______________ (to describe) herself as a “terribly old-fashioned old trout” by comparison with today’s reporters with “cute faces and cute bottoms and nothing else in between”.

She (10) _______________ (to know) for narrowly (11) _______________ (to escape) death in 1989 in Tiananmen Square. Chris Shaw, the controller of news at Channel 5 who tried to sign her up last year, said she (12) _______________ (to miss). “Through sheer personality and a certain amount of good luck she (13) _______________ (to become) more than just a communicator. She (14) _______________ (to become) a big TV figure and a personality in her own right.”

The BBC newscaster Peter Sissons said: “The sad thing is that if Kate (15) _______________ (to work) for an American network she (16) _______________ (to have) at least 10 more years in her – she probably (17) _______________ (to be) the youngest member of the team on 60 Minutes”.

“Kate is one of the few broadcast journalists who (18) _______________ (to become) a legend in her own lifetime, and is still one of the most instantly recognized figures on television.”

(From ‘The Guardian’, abridged)

Role play.

Role 1. You are Ada Fletcher, a Times reporter. You are going to write an article about Kate Adie, who has been elected the Reporter of the Year. Interview Kate Adie, Peter Sissons and Colonel Russel (see roles 2, 3, 4).

Role 2. You are Kate Adie. Answer the reporter’s questions and speak about your plans for the future. Say what your wishes and regrets are.

Role 3. You are Peter Sissions, a BBC newscaster. You have been working with Kate Adie for years. Characterise her work.

Role 4. You are Colonel Russel. You met Adie in Iran during the Gulf War and in Iraq in 2001. Tell the reporter about Adie’s courage.

(NB. While playing your roles say what K. Adie could, was able, had /didn’t have, was to do.)