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LETTERS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
7th August 2003
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
DETAILS WITHELD
AS AUTHOR IS A MEMBER OF STAFF IN THE NHS
Re University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire NHS Trust
Following months of serious irregularities at the above NHS Trust and continued persecution and discrimination against Dr Raj Mattu, I now reluctantly raise a formal complaint about the conduct and integrity of the Trust Management, in particular Mr Bryan Stoten (Chair), Mr David Roberts (CEO), Dr Lionel Booth (Medical Director), Dr Michael Harrison (Former Medical Director), Alice Casey (Chief Operating Officer) and Mrs Karen Martin (Head of Human Resources).
I have previously copied your office into my correspondence with Mr David Roberts (CEO), Mr Bryan Stoten (Trust Chair), Mr Michael Marchment (Strategic Health Authority), and Sir Nigel Crisp, which I now enclose as part of my formal complaint. My letters set out and detail some of the issues.
The Trust has manifest obvious discrimination against Dr Mattu and blatantly persecuted him, including open threats by Senior Executives to destroy his career. As part of the Management's vindictive campaign, they have actively sought and encouraged complaints against Dr Mattu, in order to generate an extensive file of dubious allegations. Dr Mattu has now been unduly suspended for 18 months, after an unreliable junior doctor made spurious allegations, just 5 weeks before leaving the Trust, claiming he felt intimidated and victimised.
Dr Mattu has since suffered an outrageously long, biased and unsound investigation, during which the Trust has invented procedures to assist their desired outcome, according to the Chairman of the Senior Medical Staff Committee, Dr Mulrooney, myself and many other consultants. This elected leader of the consultants became so disturbed by the uncontrollable Management running amuck, that he has now resigned from the Trust in disgust over the Trust's conspiracy to get rid of Dr Mattu. Dr Mulrooney's wife is a local woman and a Senior Nurse at the Trust, and this could not have been an easy decision for them and their families. The situation at the Trust is so bad, that within the following 2 weeks, two further consultants (ENT & A/E) resigned, citing the Trust's oppressive atmosphere and vindictive management as their reason for also leaving the country.
Over 90% of witnesses interviewed by the Trust during investigation of Dr Mattu, including myself, have formally complained about the Trust tampering with their evidence and consistently distorting the interview summary in a manner that is prejudicial to Dr Mattu.
Three Consultant Cardiac Anaesthetists have also resigned from the Trust during the last 6 months and decided to leave the country, and cited the oppressive local Trust Management amongst their reasons for departure. It is no surprise that the Trust has since repeatedly failed to attract and appoint Cardiac Anaesthetists to replace them, and it is now planning to get incumbent General Anaesthetists that are not formally trained and qualified in Cardiac Anaesthesia to undertake their duties. This is a worrying development in the very Heart Unit that only 22 months ago was revealed as having significantly high death rates from heart surgery, unmistakably the worst in the country.
For over 8 months, the Cardiologists have also been trying to appoint a sixth cardiologist, and unsurprisingly have similarly failed to attract anyone suitable that is prepared to come to Coventry. They have now abandoned their attempts to continue searching for this desperately needed specialist.
Such examples, of which there are plenty more, demonstrate the real and serious damage that this Trust Management is inflicting upon local health care. This entire Management must be held responsible and brought to account for the significant harm that they are causing to the local community, and generally to the NHS.
Not only is this Trust Management bringing the NHS into disrepute, but they are also abusing the offices of a highly cherished public authority to conduct a vindictive campaign to persecute Dr Mattu. There are countless obvious examples of the horrendous discrimination that Dr Mattu has endured, and the intense victimisation that he has faced. There is little surprise that after this protracted and appalling mistreatment that Dr Mattu's mental and physical health has suffered, and understandably he has recently been ill for a considerable period of time.
It is widely recognised that doctors commonly suffer with clinical depression following suspension. Dr Mattu has now been subjected to this undue treatment and pressure for 18 months. I apologise for bringing up the circumstances surrounding the fate of the late Dr David Kelly (RIP), but I feel you will understand why I am obliged to bring this matter to your attention. I hope it will not need a fatality or for other irreversible harm to come to one of the country's rising experts in heart disease, before a judicial review into the circumstances and case of Dr Mattu is eventually initiated.
I therefore respectfully request your urgent intervention into the case of Dr Mattu.
Determination of the circumstances surrounding Dr Mattu's suspension will not only help to ensure natural justice for this highly principled, committed and conscientious specialist, but also help provide important information about processes that would need to be considered in our NHS in order to prevent such gross and unjust abuse of any more dedicated staff that maintain advocacy for their patient.
Yours sincerely,
AUTHOR DETAILS WITHHELD DUE TO BEING MEMBER OF NHS STAFF
22nd August 2003
The Right Honourable Dr John Reid
Secretary of State for Health
Dear Dr Reid
Re Chairman University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire NHS Trust
Following months of serious irregularities at the above NHS Trust and continued persecution and discrimination against Dr Raj Mattu, I now reluctantly raise a formal complaint about the conduct and integrity of the Trust Management, in particular Mr Bryan Stoten (Chair), Mr David Roberts (CEO), Dr Lionel Booth (Medical Director), Alice Casey (Chief Operating Officer) and Mrs Karen Martin (Head of Human Resources).
I have previously copied your office into my correspondence along with the Strategic Health Authority and Sir Nigel Crisp, which I now enclose as part of my formal complaint. My letters set out and detail some of the issues.
The Trust has manifest obvious discrimination against Dr Mattu and blatantly persecuted him, including open threats by Senior Executives to destroy his career. As part of the Management's vindictive campaign, they have actively sought and encouraged complaints against Dr Mattu, in order to generate an extensive file of dubious allegations. Dr Mattu has now been unduly suspended for 18 months, after an unreliable junior doctor made spurious allegations, just 5 weeks before leaving the Trust, claiming he felt intimidated and victimised.
Dr Mattu has since suffered an outrageously long, biased and unsound investigation, during which the Trust has invented procedures to assist their desired outcome, according to the Chairman of the Senior Medical Staff Committee, Dr Mulrooney, many other consultants and myself. This elected leader of the consultants became so disturbed by the uncontrollable Management running amuck, that he has now resigned from the Trust in disgust over the Trust's conspiracy to get rid of Dr Mattu. Dr Mulrooney's wife is a local woman and a Senior Nurse at the Trust, and this could not have been an easy decision for them and their families. The situation at the Trust is so bad, that within the following 2 weeks, two further consultants (ENT & A/E) resigned, citing the Trust's oppressive atmosphere and vindictive management as their reason for also leaving the country.
Over 90% of witnesses interviewed by the Trust during investigation of Dr Mattu, including myself, have formally complained about the Trust tampering with their evidence and consistently distorting the interview summary in a manner that is prejudicial to Dr Mattu.
Three Consultant Cardiac Anaesthetists have resigned from the Trust during the last 6 months and decided to leave the country, and cited the oppressive local Trust Management amongst their reasons for departure. It is no surprise that the Trust has since repeatedly failed to attract and appoint Cardiac Anaesthetists to replace them, and it is now planning to get incumbent General Anaesthetists that are not formally trained and qualified in Cardiac Anaesthesia to undertake their duties. This is a worrying development in the Heart Unit that only 22 months ago was revealed as having significantly high death rates from heart surgery, unmistakably the worst in the country.
For over 8 months, the Cardiologists have also been trying to appoint a sixth cardiologist, and unsurprisingly have similarly failed to attract anyone suitable that is prepared to come to Coventry. They have now abandoned their attempts to continue searching for this desperately needed specialist.
Such examples, of which there are plenty more, demonstrate the real and serious damage that this Trust Management is inflicting upon local health care. This entire Management must be held responsible and brought to account for the significant harm that they are causing to the local community, and generally to the NHS.
Not only is this Trust Management bringing the NHS into disrepute, but they are also abusing the offices of a highly cherished public authority to conduct a vindictive campaign to persecute Dr Mattu. There are countless obvious examples of the horrendous discrimination that Dr Mattu has endured, and the intense victimisation that he has faced. There is little surprise after this protracted and appalling mistreatment, Dr Mattu's mental and physical health has suffered, and understandably he has recently been ill for a protracted period.
It is widely recognised that following suspension doctors commonly suffer with clinical depression. Dr Mattu has now been subjected to this undue treatment and pressure for 18 months. I apologise for bringing up the circumstances surrounding the fate of the late Dr David Kelly (RIP), but I feel you will understand why I am obliged to bring this matter to your attention. I hope it will not need a fatality or other irreversible harm to come to one of the country's rising experts in heart disease, before a judicial review into the circumstances and case of Dr Mattu is eventually initiated.
I respectfully request your urgent intervention into the case of Dr Mattu. Determination of the circumstances surrounding his suspension will not only help to ensure natural justice for this highly principled, committed and conscientious specialist, but also help provide important information about processes that would need to be considered in our NHS, in order to prevent such gross and unjust abuse of any more dedicated staff that maintain advocacy for their patient.
Yours sincerely,
Mr S Nahar
Cc: Mr C Goody, Dr R Moore, Sir William Wells, Sir Nigel Crisp, Dr J Reid, Mr A Blair PM, Mr I Duncan-Smith MP, Mr C Kennedy MP, MP, Dr L Fox MP, Dr E Harris MP, Mr R Ainsworth MP, Mr J Cunningham MP, Mr G Robinson MP, Mr A King MP, Mr W Olner MP, Mr M O'Brien MP, Mr J Plaskitt MP, Mrs C Spellman MP, Mr J Maples MP, NAO
