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By Staff Reporter, Birmingham Post
Ministers are to investigate the case of a Midland father-of-two
who died after a hospital repeat-edly delayed vital heart
surgery - and then told him he had missed his chance.
Health Minister Yvette Cooper promised yesterday to look
into the case of engineer John Clifford, of Lapworth,
near Warwick, who died in January aged 64.
She was speaking in Parliament in a debate on Coventry's
beleaguered Walsgrave Hospital, which is to receive new
management following a wave of damning criticism.
Midland MPs insisted yesterday that outgoing chief
executive David Loughton, who they blame for the
hospital's problems, should never be offered another job
in the National Health Service.
Mr Loughton, who has been in post for 16 years, has
announced his resignation and will leave in September.
James Plaskitt (Lab Warwick and Leamington) said his
constituent Mr Clifford suffered from heart disease and
was told he needed a replacement aortic valve last year.
Walsgrave managers said the operation would take place by
April.
However by December he was still waiting, and his
condition had deteriorated, said Mr Plaskitt.
His wife, Jean, contacted Walsgrave and said she wanted
to get the surgery done privately - but managers told her
there was no need, because the operation was imminent.
In January, however, they informed her that Mr Clifford
was so ill he had "missed his window of opportunity".
Geoffrey Robinson (Lab Coventry North West) accused
hospital managers of behaving in a way "reminiscent
of a fascist or communist dictatorship" in its
treatment of consultants who exposed the hospital's
failings.
He spoke up in support of consultant cardiologist Dr Raj
Mattu, a public critic of the hospital, who was suspended
over allegations of harassment and intimidation.
Mr Robinson said: "There is not a stain against him,
not even a hint of criticism of his competence."
