A Scots ambulance boss was sacked after making a 999 name handler go away their put up to choose him and his household up from an airport after a vacation.
Christopher Gallacher known as in a ‘favour’ from a colleague and requested a pool automotive accumulate them from Glasgow Airport after the household journey.
The responsibility supervisor then ‘particularly requested’ to be pushed by a brand new, junior member of the staff on a busy night when some sufferers had been ready ‘prolonged durations of time’.
The name handler was away from their put up for greater than 45 minutes to choose up Mr Gallacher.
The name handler was away from their put up for greater than 45 minutes, the tribunal heard (Stock Image)
A disciplinary officer mentioned he had ‘abused his place’ with ‘irresponsible’ decision-making (Stock Image)
An investigation discovered Mr Gallacher, who had labored for the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) for 20 years, had ‘knowingly depleted’ cowl, leading to him being sacked for gross misconduct.
At an employment tribunal, Mr Gallacher tried to sue the SAS for unfair dismissal. But an employment decide has now rejected his declare and dominated bosses acted ‘pretty and fairly’. The panel heard Mr Gallacher was a responsibility supervisor at West Centre in Glasgow, one of many SAS’s three centres in Scotland.
He was accountable for the ‘greatest use of sources’ able with a ‘excessive degree of autonomy and management’.
The SAS heard Mr Gallacher had allegedly used its property for his ‘personal use’.
‘It was alleged Mr Gallacher had sought to make use of [and used] a pool automotive to gather him [and his family] upon return from vacation on July 17, 2022,’ the listening to was advised. He was suspended on July 19, 2022. In February 2023, an investigation was accomplished, recommending Mr Gallacher tackle allegations of utilizing a automobile for private achieve and asking a colleague to make use of it whereas they had been on shift, which was ‘knowingly depleting cowl’.
His disciplinary listening to passed off in May 2023, after it was agreed an allegation of bringing the service into ‘disrepute’ can be added to concerns.
Despite Mr Gallacher ‘assuming’ the journey can be made in an unpaid 45-minute break, that didn’t occur. The listening to was advised: ‘While [Mr Gallacher] had not meant his request to impression upon affected person security it clearly had the potential to take action.’
A disciplinary officer mentioned he had ‘abused his place’ with ‘irresponsible’ decision-making. As a results of upholding all of the allegations, Mr Gallacher was sacked for gross misconduct in May 2023.
He appealed towards the choice, claiming different pool automobiles had been used ‘in an inappropriate method’ beforehand and highlighting the ‘absence’ of a transparent written coverage towards such follow. But it was rejected in July 2023.
At the tribunal in Glasgow, employment decide David Hoey mentioned: ‘It was clear that Mr Gallacher’s actions had taken a pool automobile of [the SAS’s] out of responsibility for a interval of in extra of 45 minutes [with a member of staff being out of the building for that period].
‘Ultimately dismissal was a call that was honest and affordable.
‘He held a senior place and he should have understood the context inside which the choice he took can be seen.’