A SURGEON from Manchester awarded a record payout still hasn't seen a penny, two years after winning his claim against the British Medical Association for racial discrimination.

Dr Rajendra Chaudhary was awarded £814,000 two years ago - one of the biggest race discrimination settlements in British legal history - after a tribunal agreed that he had been discriminated against because of his ethnic background.

But the BMA appealed against the decision and has so far refused to pay, leaving the 44-year-old surgeon, who cannot work, in dire financial straits.

Now an appeal tribunal has ruled in his favour and the BMA has been ordered to pay the award plus eight per cent interest - a total of £945,400.

But the experienced urologist, who trained at North Manchester General must still wait for the money because the BMA wants to go to the Court of Appeal.

Dr Chaudhary, who has born in India, had to give up work because of the stress caused by the case. He is on medication and has to claim benefits to support his family.

The surgeon, who lives in Trafford, said his promotion hopes were dashed when he was told 18 months of training to qualify as a full consultant urologist would not be recognised by the Specialist Training Authority, even though British-born colleagues with the same experience succeeded.

He went to the BMA when he wanted to bring a case of racial discrimination against the STA but was told he had no case.

The tribunal found the BMA had indirectly racially discriminated against him and that it should have taken the case.

Secretary of the BMA, Mr Jeremy Strachan, said: "It remains our view that there was insufficient evidence before the original employment tribunal to justify a finding of discrimination."



rebecca.camber@men-news.co.uk

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