Highland GP leaders have been accused by a former colleague of wrongly spending thousands on curry nights and legal fees.

Lindsay Dunn made the claims in a letter - leaked to the Herald - which was sent to GP practices across the region on Monday, as she confirmed that she was resigning from the Highland Local Medical Committee "with immediate effect".

Ms Dunn, who has been the group's business coordinator for more than 12 years, said her employment was "no longer tenable" in light of a long-running grievance process and an imminent employment tribunal which she is pursuing against the LMC.

In a parting shot, she said she wanted to "potentially whistle blow, and to alert you to a possible misappropriation of LMC levy funds".

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She said that LMC bank account statements sent to her home and workplace show that £8,750 had been spent since August 2023 by the LMC on "legal help and advice" relating to her grievance, its investigation, and her subsequent appeal.

In addition, Ms Dunn said the Chair's Group - the five GPs who form the LMC executive - was spending £200 a time on bi-monthly curry nights at the Cinnamon restaurant in Inverness.

She added: "This is also paid for by levy payer’s money. The Chair’s group meeting over dinner has been a tradition since I commenced employment in 2011.

"This means that up to a potential £15,600 has been spent on Chair’s group meals during that time.

"I have raised my concerns about this in the past with the Chair’s Group...I am reporting this to you as the levy payers in good faith, as you have a right to know what your levy money is being used for.

"A total of £8,750 has been spent on my grievance process and a further potential £15,600 has been spent on Chair’s Group meals.

"This has the potential to equate to a total of £24,350 that I believe may have been misappropriated."

The Herald: The Cinnamon curry house in Inverness, where the Highland LMC executive meet six times a year for 'working dinners'The Cinnamon curry house in Inverness, where the Highland LMC executive meet six times a year for 'working dinners' (Image: Google)

The LMC has said it was obliged to hire lawyers to respond to more than 100 grievances brought by Ms Dunn, and that the curry nights were "working dinners" which she also attended. 

LMCs are located in every health board area in Scotland. They are part of BMA Scotland and exist to represent the views of their GP members to the trade union and to local health boards.

The vast majority of practices opt into LMCs, which mean they are obliged to pay annual membership levies which vary according to the size of their patient list.

In some cases, GPs employed on a salaried or locum basis will pay their own membership fees if the practice does not cover the cost for them.

The letter, sent via email by Ms Dunn on Monday, was addressed to all "levy paying practices" in the Highlands.

It is understood that the LMC has sought legal advice as to whether the correspondence amounts to a breach of contract and information governance rules by the former business coordinator.

The communication outlines an internal dispute between the parties which appears to have become increasingly acrimonious and frustrating.

Ms Dunn states that she has been "involved in a conflict with Highland LMC since November 2022, which turned into a grievance in August 2023".

It is unclear what the substance of the grievance was, but it was lodged against all current members of the chair's group - Drs Alan Miles, Lorien Cameron-Ross, Paul McMullan, Chris Williams and Jonathan Ball - along with its former medical director, Dr Iain Kennedy, who is now chair of BMA Scotland.

The Herald: Lindsay Dunn (inset) was the business coordinator for Highland LMC since 2011. Her grievance was lodged against the group's senior GPs, including former medical director Dr Iain Kennedy - now chair of BMA ScotlandLindsay Dunn (inset) was the business coordinator for Highland LMC since 2011. Her grievance was lodged against the group's senior GPs, including former medical director Dr Iain Kennedy - now chair of BMA Scotland (Image: Newsquest)

The grievance process concluded on March 5 this year, but Ms Dunn claims that the Highland LMC "has refused to share evidence that they relied upon during the grievance and grievance appeal process".

She added: "I therefore believe that the grievance process has been flawed, hence my resignation with immediate effect."

As a result, she said she has now lodged a Subject Access Request - similar to freedom of information - to obtain the evidence in advance of a preliminary hearing in Aberdeen on April 18 for her employment tribunal against the LMC.

Contacted by the Herald, Ms Dunn said: "This letter was sent by me in confidence to the Highland LMC levy payers.

"As this is a pending legal situation, I will not be commenting on this at this time."

A source close to the LMC said that a number of levy payers had been in touch since receiving Ms Dunn's email "to show support to directors and say they have no concerns".

They added that committee has been "kept abreast of the employee dispute that has been ongoing and is supportive of directors thus far".

A spokesman for Highland LMC said: “We take very seriously the welfare of those who work for us and have sought appropriate employment law advice in this matter, as our members would expect.

“It is disappointing that Ms Dunn is criticising Highland doctors after we were obliged to pay for lawyers solely to investigate and defend over 100 grievances which she made.

“It is widely known that the executive group of the committee, all of whom are working GPs, meet for a working dinner every two months to discuss important issues relevant to their members.

"Minutes and actions are taken at these meetings, historically by Ms Dunn - who also dined.”