A CONSULTANT in charge of Furness General Hospital's accident and emergency unit quit his £67,000-a-year post after claiming that the department was understaffed and unsafe.

But Dr Simon Mardel withdrew a claim of unfair dismissal on the third morning of an employment tribunal in Carlisle scheduled to last a week.

Following his evidence and cross-examination by a barrister representing Morecambe Bay Hospitals NHS Trust which runs the Barrow hospital, Royal Lancaster Infirmary and Westmorland General, Kendal Dr Mardel was asked to reconsider the grounds of his claim by the tribunal chairman.

Before deciding to drop his allegation that his treatment by his employer amounted to constructive dismissal, Dr Mardel told the tribunal panel he was not prepared to criticise individuals.

But he claimed the structure of the trust, covering three sites, led to wrong management decisions which were "being made on second or third hand information."

Dr Mardel, who had campaigned for an extra doctor on accident and emergency, said he had been castigated for making complaints but that was not the reason he had resigned.

"Continual interference from the trust in carrying out my duties led me to leave. Namely, the training and supervision of junior doctors and providing a safe A&E service," he said.

After the hearing, Jon Lenney, director of human resources for the trust, said: "Whilst the trust has the utmost respect for Dr Mardel's clinical performance, it has always believed his claim was unfounded and without justification.

"It is disappointed that it has been forced to spend time, money and legal costs in defending its position.

"In common with other departments, the A&E department is subject to regular external inspections which have always found it to be providing a good service with high quality training for junior doctors."