Army doctor wanted to quit over posting
Medic ‘distraught’ at being asked to leave Scotland
A SCOTS Army doctor accused of fraud tried to quit the Forces after he was posted to England, a court heard yesterday.
Lieutenant-Colonel Chris BairdClarke was ‘distraught’ about a move to a role assisting recruits.
The 46-year-old, a father of four, faced either moving his family from the house they owned in Cornhill, Aberdeenshire, to Wiltshire or having to fly nearly 600 miles north every weekend to see them.
Bulford Military Court heard he was told he could not claim an allowance for flights home but continued to book travel through the Army – without telling superiors.
Baird-Clarke was in ‘significant debt’, the court heard, and after ‘obligatory payments’ was left with only £600 left a month.
As an Army doctor of senior rank, his minimum salary would have been around £120,000.
Yesterday, he told the court of ‘horrible’ situations when unwanted postings had made soldiers ill.
Baird-Clarke, who has done tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, was head of defence occupational medicine for the Army, based in Edinburgh, until June 2019. After a failed appeal against the decision to move him to Upavon, Wiltshire, he tried to seek early release from service.
He said: ‘I have seen and discharged multiple soldiers and officers who have developed ill health due to postings and situations where they have lost control and it ends horribly. I didn’t want to do that and then you only have one road, which is to leave.’
The court heard Baird-Clarke had requested a job-share that would allow him to work in Scotland at weekends, meaning his flights would be paid for because his travel was for ‘service reasons’.
Prosecutors allege he was told the work could be done remotely, so he would need to pay for his trips.
Baird-Clarke said: ‘[I was] distraught and upset and angry and felt completely let down.’
He said he spoke to his superior officer in his old unit, Surgeon Captain Mark Henry, about continuing to work for the Scottish branch – and claimed he was given approval.
He added: ‘By providing that service it allowed authorised travel, by Captain Mark Henry.’ He booked 19 flights, took seven and cancelled the rest. The total cost was £2,200.
He added that he had been used to his superiors being ‘compassionate and understanding’.
Baird-Clarke faces two charges of fraud but admits three counts of failing to perform a duty.
He admits making the bookings but claimed he did not realise he was unable to do so.
He has since left the Army and works as an occupational health physician but retains his title.
The trial continues.