Mrs C Mace v Mount Pleasant Practice — 2020

The tribunal heard Mrs C Mace's claim that she was unfairly dismissed by Mount Pleasant Practice on 11 April 2019. It recorded that she had worked as a medical receptionist, had raised concerns about lone working, underpayment, appraisals, contracts, and the practice manager's conduct, and that after a grievance meeting on 4 April 2019 the respondent investigated her accessing the Portskewett surgery computer outside normal working hours and printing emails containing patient-sensitive data.

Applying section 98(2)(b) and section 98(4) of the Employment Rights Act 1996 and referring to British Home Stores Limited v Burchell, the tribunal found that the respondent had a genuine belief that the claimant had committed gross misconduct, had carried out a reasonable investigation, and had acted within the range of reasonable responses in dismissing her. It noted that the claimant had admitted attending the surgery and printing emails, had been warned about patient confidentiality in her job description and staff acceptable use charter, and had appealed unsuccessfully against dismissal.