NHS consultant suspended from working for EIGHT YEARS for daring to speak out about high death rates

Published 14th May 2010

A leading heart consultant who blew the whistle on high death rates at his hospital has been banned from working for eight years - at a cost of £6million to the NHS.

Dr Raj Mattu was suspended in 2002 after he blew the whistle on dangerous clincial practicies and high death rates at Walsgrave Hospital in Coventry.

The top practionner was stopped from working and hauled before a High Court judge, the General Medical Council and now, when found innocent of all charges, is being disciplined for asking for his old job back.

Hospital bosses have reportedly spent as much as £6million blocking his return.

Almost a decade after he first spoke out, the hospital has been found to have one of the highest death rates in the country.

Yet he is battling to resume his career as a cardiologist.

Last night, the defeated Labour Government stood accused of repeatedly breaking their 1997 election promise to protect doctors and nurses who spoke out to protect patients.

Dr Mattu's supporters claim Labour health ministers were aware of his situation, but refused to intervene.

Hospital bosses suspended high-flying specialist Dr Mattu on allegations of bulling a junior doctor.

But the 48-year-old, who was found innocent in a £500,000 independent inquiry, was still not allowed to return to his job - even though a High Court judge ruled he should go back to work.

After the QC-led independent inquiry, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire then reported Dr Mattu to the GMC, which also rejected the charges.

He was told he could return last year and began 18 months of retraining.

But now he has been told by hospital bosses that he will face further allegations at a new disciplinary hearing.

Dr Mattu, who was hired to raise standards in cardiology at the hospital, is being disciplined for asking for his old job back - which included pioneering heart research.

He has been forced to abandon his refresher training at two leading London hospitals by the hospital trust, which had organised the course.

Dr Mattu, who earned £110,000 as a specialist, last night said the saga has destroyed his career.

'This has taken an enormous toll on me psychologically,' he said. 'To have been barred from doing the job I love for eight years has been a tremendous blow.

'I never believed that this could go on for so long. I have been hung out to dry by the hospital and I have had no backing or support from the Department of Health.

'Labour was pledged to protect people like me who spoke out on behalf of patients but I've been badly let down. Now that the trust has started new disciplinary action I have no idea where this will end.

'It's an absolute nightmare. I thought when they finally agreed that I could go back to work that it was all over. But the hospital is continuing to persecute me.

'It has had a terrible effect on my mental and physical health and affected my relationships with family.'

Ted Needham, a research scientist who worked with the doctor, said: 'Dr Mattu has not done anything wrong clinically. His only crime was to speak up on behalf of patients and report things he saw were wrong that were costing lives.'

He added: 'He has been left in limbo. Without retraining he can't go back to work. It's the same as being suspended. He can't organise his own retraining. That has to be sponsored by the trust.

'He has every right in law to go back to his old job which involved treating patients and doing vital heart research. But they want to take away his research work and he quite rightly wants to carry on.

'It is almost unbelievable that someone could be kept from their job for eight years and yet the Labour Party health team in Whitehall chose to ignore his plight and allow his persecution to continue. His friends and supporters were shocked by Labour's indifference to his plight.'

Norman Lamb, Liberal Democrat health spokesman until the election, said: 'It is frankly scandalous that a hospital consultant can be kept away from his job for eight when he is completely innocent of any offence.

'Labour's Health Secretary, Andy Burnhan really should have intervened and told Dr Mattu's trust that it could not carry on in this way.

'If Dr Mattu is innocent then he should be allowed to carry on with his retraining. You cannot discipline someone simply because they ask to return to their old job.'

Department of Health guidelines state that long term suspensions should be avoided and suspensions should be dealt with speedily within six months.

Hospitals are also directed to avoid suspensions for non clinical reasons.

Tory Peter Bone, a member of the House of Commons Health Select Committee until the General Election, said: 'It is outrageous that a doctor can be kept away from his job for so long without good cause.

'What on earth is going on for the Department of Health to allow a hospital trust to behave in this way?'

A former colleague of Dr Mattu said: 'We had terrible death rates here according to the national statistics and Raj was brave enough to point out where mistakes were being made.'

Walsgrave Hospital is one of 25 hospitals singled out in a report by Professor Brian Jarman for having higher than average death rates.

He urged that all the hospitals should be subject to immediate investigation by the Care Quality Commission.

A University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust spokesman said: 'We are aware of the information being put into the public domain by Dr Mattu's supporters. Much of the information being published is, in our view, inaccurate and misleading.

'We have however, being a responsible employer, made a commitment to keep matters between any of our employees and ourselves strictly confidential.'

Source: ' Daily Mail '

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