Ex-heart tsar quits key safety role in row over death rate leak

Officials yesterday confirmed former heart tsar Sir Roger Boyle had stood down from his position as director of the National Institute for Cardiovascular Outcomes Research (NICOR).

He raised concerns three weeks ago with NHS England over an early draft of figures which appeared to show high death rates at Leeds General Infirmary.

The move played a key part in the unit’s temporary shutdown, but he was heavily criticised for leaking the statistics and detailed analysis later revealed there were no problems with safety at the hospital.

Last week he fuelled further anger after stating he would not send his daughter for heart surgery in Leeds despite official reassurances that services were safe.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt announced on Monday that Sir Roger, a former cardiologist at York Hospital, would no longer play a part as an adviser to the NHS Safe and Sustainable review into the future of children’s heart surgery in England, which had led to the Leeds unit being earmarked for closure until the decision was overturned in the High Court by campaigners. A spokeswoman for NICOR, which analyses data about the quality of care and outcomes for patients with heart disease, confirmed that Sir Roger had stood down from his role but declined to comment further.

MPs yesterday welcomed Sir Roger’s departure.

Pudsey MP Stuart Andrew said no one doubted Sir Roger’s credentials as a doctor, but he did not think he had “shown good judgment when it comes to the future of the Leeds children’s heart unit”.

“Furthermore, his resignation today poses further questions as to the possibility of bias within the Safe and Sustainable review,” the Tory MP said.

Leeds North West Liberal Democrat MP Greg Mulholland repeated calls for an inquiry into the entire affair, describing Sir Roger’s conduct as “wholly unacceptable”.

He added: “However this clearly confirms the truth of what I and others have been reporting about the disgraceful handling of this whole matter by NHS England. This is just not good enough and we need a proper investigation.”

Ministers yesterday told MPs that a decision over whether to appeal against the High Court judgment ruling that the decision to close the Leeds unit was 
unlawful would be left to NHS bosses.

In the Commons at health questions, Mr Mulholland said the High Court ruling had left the NHS’s approach “in tatters” and called on Ministers to ensure no further appeal was lodged.

“Will the Minister now confirm whether he will instruct NHS England not to appeal the High Court decision?” he said.

But Tory Health Minister Dan Poulter insisted the Government would not intervene.

“If NHS England would like to appeal the decision and if it thinks there are good grounds to do that, that is something it must do. The decision will then ultimately be made in the courts, on the basis of how valid that appeal is.”

NHS Safe and Sustainable has defended the advice given by Sir Roger, claiming “his recent comments do not bring into question the advice he provided”.

It said his advice was “clinical rather than centre-specific, focusing on the background to the review and to explain the ‘need for change’”.

NICOR last week announced it was launching an investigation into the leak of the figures to find out of there had been a breach of its policies relating to “analysis, communications and release of data”.

It said it would “act promptly to ensure its protocols are followed by all staff”.

Sir Roger was heavily criticised by the committee drawing up the analysis of death rates for raising them with NHS chiefs when they had yet to be analysed.

In a strongly-worded message, he was told their release “rings of politics not of proper process”.