Sacked surgeon Robert Phipps has won his case of unfair dismissal against Bradford Hospitals NHS Trust.

But his claims of whistleblowing and breach of contract have been thrown out by a Leeds Employment Tribunal and his compensation was slashed to just ten per cent.

And, in a written judgement released today, the tribunal found that, if the correct procedures had been followed by the Trust, there would have been a "100 per cent likelihood that the applicant (Mr Phipps) would have been dismissed".

Mr Phipps, of Beech Tree Court, Baildon, was sacked in September 2000 for "misrepresenting" his CV and failing to notify bosses of a court decision about his work overseas.

But the surgeon claimed he was dismissed for blowing the whistle on the treatment of breast cancer patients. He appealed twice against his sacking before embarking on the employment tribunal.

Tribunal chairman Peter Hildebrand said the hospital's disciplinary panels had been "coached" by management beforehand and that chief executive David Jackson had involved himself "excessively" in the case.

"Whether or not the outcome was pre-judged, it cannot be right to invite an applicant employee and his representative to a disciplinary hearing when the panel has already been informed of the relevant surrounding issues," he said.

But Mr Hildebrand said Mr Phipps's conduct had "fallen far short" of that expected by the Trust. He had failed to keep bosses informed of professional proceedings in New Zealand and had misrepresented his position at The Royal Marsden Hospital, where he claimed to hold the substantive post of senior registrar but in fact held only a locum post.

He said Mr Phipp's concerns about low referrals for radiotherapy had already been investigated by the Trust and that complaints about treatment did not show that patients' lives were at risk.

Both sides today claimed victory in the case.

Mr Phipps, 47, said: "The tribunal was very disturbed that I never had a fair hearing at the disciplinary hearing or the appeal. The allegations about patient care that I have made were the real reason I was dismissed and I stand by those 100 per cent."

A Bradford Hospitals NHS Trust spokesman said it welcomed the ruling that the reasons for dismissing Mr Phipps were justified and that his claim of whistleblowing was dismissed.

He added: "We very much regret the findings against the Trust on procedural matters."