Specialist must pay trust's costs

Dr Mattu has been suspended on full pay for four years

A doctor who failed to win an injunction against possible dismissal by a hospital trust must now pay up to £60,000 in court costs.

Doctor Raj Mattu was suspended in 2002 over an allegation of harassment.

He lost the injunction at the High Court on Friday and now must pay two thirds of University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust's costs.

But a spokesman for a group supporting the doctor said the specialist should be reinstated.

The ruling follows the trust "substantially" winning the case.

The trust estimates its legal costs in the case to be at least £90,000 leaving a bill of £60,000 for Dr Mattu.

Disciplinary hearing

The heart specialist was suspended from Walsgrave Hospital in Coventry on full pay in 2002 following an allegation made against him by a junior member of staff.

Last year, an inquiry panel recommended he was given no more than a written warning which would have expired after six months, but hospital bosses wanted the right to dismiss him.

In a statement, the trust said it was "frustrated" by how long the case had taken.

"At the High Court Mr Justice Eady ruled that the trust should not pay any of Dr Mattu's costs but Dr Mattu will have to pay two thirds of the trust's costs," the statement reads.

"This order was made on the basis that the trust had substantially won on the issues between the two parties.

"The trust continues to be frustrated at the length of time this issue has taken and so is pressing for an early date for the disciplinary hearing with Dr Mattu's lawyers."

The group supporting the specialist, The Dr Raj Mattu Reinstatement Committee, claimed victory following the hearing.

In a statement it said: "The committee looks forward to the chief executive now implementing the sanction of reinstatement with a first written warning."