Massive Payout For Whistleblowing Heart Surgeon

A leading heart surgeon who experienced discrimination in the workplace after speaking out about several controversial failings within the NHS has been awarded a massive £1.2 million at an employment tribunal.

This ruling has been granted fifteen years after Dr Mattu first expressed his concerns over patient safety. Speaking of his struggle he mentioned how he was ‘vilified and bullied’ after making his claims about the conditions at Walsgrave Hospital in Coventry in 2001. His revelations were made in relation to the deaths of two patients who died due to overcrowding in the hospital’s wards; a tragedy Dr Mattu’s employers attempted to hide. He claims that the blame for at least two of the deaths is down to the practice of having five patients in a bay designed for only four people.

One instance documented in Dr Mattu’s whistleblowing found him and two of his senior nursing colleagues launching an investigative report into the death of a 35-year-old patient who died because the apparatus necessary for saving his life could not reach him in an overcrowded bay.

Dr Mattu’s original tribunal ruling took place in April 2014, when it was determined that he had suffered unfair dismissal and subsequently had his reputation tarnished by his former employers. In February 2016 it was finally agreed at tribunal that a total sum of £1.22 million compensation be paid to Dr Mattu. The tribunal ruled that Dr Mattu’s actions constituted an act of whistleblowing which he suffered unfair result treatment for as a direct result.

The ruling also concluded that the trust had unfairly held a disciplinary hearing against Dr Mattu in the knowledge that he would not be capable of attending due to suffering poor health. He was eventually dismissed by the trust in 2010, and was informed of the decision while in hospital having been suspended on full pay since 2003 facing claims of bullying.

It is believed that around £10 million pounds of taxpayer money was spent via legal fees and tribunal costs in an effort to silence Dr Mattu, all conducted under the influence of the personnel in charge of the Trust of Coventry and Warwickshire University Hospitals.

In a 2014 interview Dr Mattu spoke of his unfair treatment: ‘Instead of listening to me, embracing what I said and working with me to improve conditions for patients, trust managers tried to destroy me. It was a form of torture. Patients have been betrayed. Even today, there has still been no investigation into the deaths that I witnessed”.

With the case now finally over and ruling in favour of Dr Mattu, the respected surgeon has expressed the impact that the case has had on his life: ‘The overriding feeling I and my wife have is relief that there is finally a full stop. For the first time in 15 years I can look forward and plan things for the future.’ A source close to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the case showed why hospitals needed to make sure they listen to whistleblowers.

A source close to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt stated that the case is a perfect example of why hospitals need to make sure they listen to whistleblowers. Dr Mattu has been working with Mr Hunt to establish the Freedom To Speak Up campaign, which is intended to protect whistleblowers within the NHS and ensure their concerns are acknowledged and acted upon. He explains: ‘Ensuring that staff are listened to when they raise concerns is part of what we need to do to make the NHS the safest healthcare system in the world.

Responding to the tribunal ruling, the NHS Trust issued a statement: ‘While £1.2 million is a large amount, it is a significant reduction from the original claim and has finally resolved this matter. We accept that it has been difficult for all involved and are relieved that this case has now been brought to an end.’