Annex A > Chapter 29 - Concerns 1994 > Concerns > May

May

46 In May 1994 Professor Angelini was visited by Mr Durie, Chairman, UBHT, and Mrs Maisey, Director of Operations and Nurse Advisor. Professor Angelini told the Inquiry about the meeting in the following exchange:

` ... at short notice, my secretary said that Mr Durie's secretary had phoned and he wanted to see me to discuss the expansion plan for the Academic Department on Level 7. I said, "Fine, tell him to come along". He came along, to my surprise, with Margaret Maisey. Quite honestly, I do not know what she was there for in terms of discussing the academic plans.

`Q. Who was Margaret Maisey?

`A. I think she was Head of Nursing, I do not know how you call it within the UBHT. She was an executive member of the UBHT and Director of Nursing.

`Q. She worked closely with Dr Roylance?

`A. I have no idea. It probably was the first time I met the woman. ... They came into my office. I did not organise the meeting. They came to me. The conversation on the academic department expansion lasted about 30 seconds. I must say, I was not expecting him to raise the issue of paediatric. What he said was that he was very concerned about what he had heard and he had an impression or an opinion or whatever you want to call it that the paediatric service was sub-standard.

`Q. What did he say he had heard and from whom?

`A. I think he just said "The service is not good". I cannot recollect the precise words, but the message or gist of it was "I am very unhappy at what I have heard that the paediatric service is not up to scratch". What his exact words were, I do not know. I cannot recollect.

`Q. What did you say?

`A. I said then, I share his sympathy in full. He asked me whether I had any solution and I said then in my view, the solution was to try to appoint a new paediatric cardiac surgeon.

`Q. What did he say to that?

`A. He said would I be kind enough to put this in writing and could I be kind enough to go and see Professor Vann Jones to discuss this with him, and make sure that he was in agreement with this concept and send him a letter, and he would have done something if he could.

`Q. Why did he tell you to go and see Professor Vann Jones do you think?

`A. Because Professor Vann Jones was the Director of Cardiac Services. Presumably he was trying to suggest to me to go through the established channel of command.' [59]

47 Professor Vann Jones stated in his written evidence to the Inquiry that, after talking to Professor Angelini independently of the meeting between Mr Durie and Professor Angelini:

`Together we wrote to Mr Drury [Durie], Chairman of the Trust, hoping to fund the appointment of a new paediatric cardiac surgeon. This letter was sent in April 1994 which was the earliest opportunity at which I could possibly make such an offer as it was only in April 1994 that the Directorate of Cardiac Services finally came into being with its own budget.' [60]

48 The letter, dated 12 May 1994, stated:

`Gianni has come up with the novel idea of appointing a senior lecturer under his auspices for two years and for then the NHS to take over this chap assuming he has done what we would want him to do and that is turn the service around. I am strongly in favour of this and I think the time has come to make a decision because if we do not get ahead with it paediatric cardiac surgery in Bristol is going to fold and shortly after that paediatric cardiology will go with it.' [61]

49 Also on 12 May the Cardiac Expansion Working Party of the UBHT met. A draft of their report stated, at one point:

`There is a perception that the quality of paediatric cardiac services in UBHT does not match the standards of the Trust's major competitors and it is imperative that the Trust demonstrates continued commitment to improved quality in waiting times and outcomes which have an impact on mortality and morbidity in specialist areas.'

50 It went on:

`If the BRCH [sic] is to regain and build upon its reputation, the appointment of a consultant paediatric cardiac surgeon is required to undertake and oversee this service. It has proved impossible to attract a suitable candidate under the current split site arrangements.' [62]

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Footnotes

[59] T61 p.127-9 Professor Angelini

[60] WIT 0115 0021 Professor Vann Jones

[61] UBHT 0061 0246; letter dated 12 May 1994

[62] UBHT 0275 0139; draft report `Options for Development of Adult and Paediatric Cardiac Services in UBHT' dated May 1994