THE head of the Royal Free’s intensive care unit for infectious diseases warned hospital staff they would be served with a P45 if they were caught speaking to the media during the coronavirus crisis.

Dr Daniel Martin OBE, emailed junior doctors and nurses at the peak of the pandemic, telling them that leakers would be found. He said the trust would “track any leaks to the media” and then “offer you the chance to post your P45 on Facebook for all to see.”

The New Journal spoke to several Royal Free staff during the course of the pandemic, under the condition anonymity, at a time of intense public interest in the inner workings of NHS hospital and the response to the Covid crisis.

Dr Martin’s email, which described journalists at one paper as “parasites”, was unearthed by Liberty Investigates, an investigative branch of the civil rights group Liberty.

The Royal Free London trust said the email was “badly worded” and did not reflect trust policy, adding: “Although badly worded, and not reflecting trust policy, Dr Martin’s email was not about whistleblowing – it was urging people not to share unvalidated patient data for an important research study, prior to publication.”

“Rather than seeking to dissuade people from raising concerns, Dr Martin’s email to a clinical team, explained the channels available to them were they to have any.”

Dr Martin’s email in April was sent out after a memo written he had written warning about equipment shortages was reported in the Financial Times.

The Royal Free secured a warm public relations success when it allowed BBC cameras into film a gripping two-part special of Hospital. The makers are being allowed back in for a follow-up.