Dissatisfaction guaranteed by sustained attack

ABOUT 200 Sark residents signed a petition of support for the island's medical officer, Dr Peter Counsell, in the first 36 hours.

Copies of the petition were placed in island shops and the Island Hall after news that Dr Counsell had resigned spread extremely quickly. His resignation came after a sustained attack in a number of editions of the Sark Newsletter following the medical evacuation of Diana Beaumont by sea earlier last month.

The island was formally made aware of the popular GP's resignation in a letter sent on Tuesday to all households from the Medical Committee, which followed a public statement issued on Sunday.

Written before the committee was made aware of Dr Counsell's intention to resign, the statement said that the committee was 'appalled' that someone of his standing in the community was having his professional judgment questioned purely on political grounds.

The statement went on to express 'deep concern' about the danger such publicity in the newsletter could cause to Sark's ability to bring medical professionals to the island in the future.

In the letter to residents which followed his resignation, the Medical Committee said that Dr Counsell's intended resignation will take effect in July, meaning that he has given Chief Pleas and its committees six months to find a replacement.

The committee adds: 'The lies printed concerning Dr Counsell have made it too difficult for him to continue working in Sark and in order to protect his family (he lives at the Medical Centre with his wife and two young children) he feels he must leave.

'The doctor should be the only person to make decisions concerning medical matters – be it a medical evacuation or any other. Unfortunately, that does not stop others without any medical background from believing they know better.'

While the news of Dr Counsell's resignation stunned most Sark residents, opinion in the island appears to be divided over whether the petition declaring support for him will be enough to persuade him to change his mind, no matter how high a percentage of the 500 or so adult residents sign it.

As a number of residents stated quite clearly to me, a huge demonstration of support is one thing but there are certainly no guarantees – probably quite the opposite – that the Sark Newsletter will discontinue its attacks on him.

The fact that Seigneur Michael Beaumont's wife remains ill in hospital – although with slow signs of improvement, I am told – appears to have been ignored if the repetitive attacks on him in the latest edition are anything to go by.

All in all it amounts to a sad and unnecessary state of affairs and means that there is every probability that a young man and his family will be forced to uproot and move from a community that they had worked so hard to become integral parts of.

For the life of me I cannot see how that situation can bring satisfaction to anyone.

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I don't know too much in the way of detail, but Sark School is holding a Film Festival and Oscar Awards a week today. Perhaps that might explain why a mid-morning and quite quiet walk I was enjoying near the Visitor Centre the other day was interrupted – not unpleasantly, I stress – by the sight of youngsters in pirate costumes cycling around the corner near Le Manoir.

They were closely followed by teacher Amanda Mason, complete with camera and tripod, and I have no doubt that more will be revealed next week.

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My quip about the Memorial Window Fund organisers biting hands off anyone offering foreign currency brought a smile to organiser Reg Guille's face and even more so when he received 120 Swiss francs and 20 US dollars.

The appeal fund has now passed £4,000, so only £2,000 to go.

• The email address for comment is fallesark@sark.net.