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By Adrian Murphy, Coventry Observer
NEARLY £1.5
million of vital research funds secured by
suspended Walsgrave Hospital heart surgeon Dr Raj
Mattu have been frozen by health chiefs, it
emerged this week.
Dr Mattu secured the
cash from various sponsors, including the British
Heart Foundation, to carry out pioneering research
into genetics and heart disease at the University
of Warwick.
But since his suspension from
Walsgrave Hospital in February 2002 following
allegations of bullying, University Hospitals
Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust has frozen the
funds - leading to the break up of Dr Mattu’s 12
strong team of researchers.
Now it has
emerged the trust has started to redistribute Dr
Mattu’s funds to other doctors carrying out
research, much to the anger of the suspended
surgeon.
Details of the funds emerged
during an employment tribunal brought by Dr
Mattu’s research colleague Ted Needham, whose
contract was not renewed by the university in May
2002 when the trust refused to hand over cash from
the frozen fund.
Speaking exclusively to
The Observer, Dr Mattu accused the trust of
ruining ten years of research into heart
disease.
He added the cash his research
team had secured was now being distributed to
other doctors without his consent.
“This is
a scandalous act as myself and Ted have spent ten
years on this research programme and secured these
funds,” Dr Mattu said.
“To find out that
money for wages and trials has not only been
frozen but transferred to another account is
unbelievable.”
Mr Needham, now unemployed,
said he believed he had become caught in the
middle of the dispute between the trust and Dr
Mattu.
“It is atrocious that having spent
over ten years in the field and compiling a
valuable research programme this has happened,” Mr
Needham added.
Mr Needham lost his case for
unfair dismissal at the tribunal.
But in
its report, the tribunal panel was critical of the
trust’s role in the affair.
“The
respondents (Warwick University) did everything
they reasonably could to persuade the trust to
commit themselves to releasing those funds, but
the trust effectively refused to do so.
“We
suspect the trust’s reason was directly connected
with their suspension of Dr Mattu, although they
were careful never to express that reason
directly.
“Instead, they delayed and
prevaricated, presumably hoping to minimise their
problems.”
A spokesman for the trust said
this week: “Funding for Mr Needham’s post was not
frozen or affected by the suspension of Dr
Mattu.
“Mr Needham had a two year honorary
position with the university and we understand the
tribunal has rejected his
claim.”
