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Coventry Observer
A HEALTH
Minister has shattered hopes of reinstating
suspended heart specialist Dr Raj Mattu while he
awaits a disciplinary hearing next
year.
During an adjournment debate in the
House of Commons last Wednesday (July 21) Coventry
South MP Jim Cunningham and Coventry North West MP
Geoffrey Robinson asked for Dr Raj Mattu to be
reinstated.
But the Parliamentary
Under-Secretary of State for Health Dr Stephen
Ladyman said the allegations against him were too
serious.
Dr Mattu was suspended amid
allegations of bullying in February 2002 and will
not face a disciplinary hearing until January 2005
- sending the cost of his suspension to the NHS to
over £1 million.
“The trust has been
keeping this case under review and is satisfied
that the grounds remain for keeping the suspension
in place,” Dr Ladyman told the House.
But
Mr Cunningham launched a scathing attack on the
credibility of the lengthy suspension and called
into question the reasons for it.
“There is
something fundamentally wrong with a system that
has no time for the resolution of cases such as Dr
Mattu's,” he said.
But Mr Ladyman said the
hospital could not be blamed for the delays and
criticised Dr Mattu and his supporters for
fighting a campaign through the media.
“It
is their right to do so, but in doing so they have
tied up resources at the trust that could have
otherwise have been used to deal more
expeditiously with the case.”
This was met
with an outburst from South Norfolk MP, Richard
Bacon, who said: “Who wrote this
rubbish?”
The debate, which lasted for half
an hour, also heard the views of Geoffrey
Robinson, who was concerned about the trust's
involvement in the case.
“To my knowledge,
it is the chairman [Brian Stoten] and chief
executive [David Roberts] who seem to be leading
the campaign against Dr Mattu,” he said.
He
was referring to a court case eight years ago
involving Dr Mattu which resulted in his
acquittal.
Speaking to The Observer this
week, Dr Mattu said: “I am astonished the trust
have brought this matter up as it was concluded
eight years ago.
“The people of Coventry
will reach their own view as to why the trust has
chosen to drag this up in such a public way.”
A spokesman for the trust said the
information had been sent to them by a member of
the public after Dr Mattu had made and appearance
on Radio Four and was made public by Mr Robinson
during the debate in the Commons.
“It is
not a matter for the trust, and has no bearing on
the disciplinary process underway," the spokesman
added.
"It is disappointing for both Dr
Mattu and the trust that Mr Robinson has chosen to
make this a public matter.”
