Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the employment of Mr Aditya Agrawal at East Lancashire Hospitals Trust, (a) what mediation has been offered by the Trust, (b) when (i) Mr Watson, (ii) Mr Chang and (iii) Mr Harris will cease to be full-time NHS consultants, (c) whether one of those three consultants was the originator or conveyor of the false, fabricated or misattributed clinical accusation to the GMC on clinical care provided by Mr Agrawal, (d) whether the Trust has withdrawn in writing any wrong accusation concerning clinical care provided by Mr Agrawal and (e) who was responsible for arranging the revalidation of Mr Agrawal with the GMC (i) up to and (ii) after October 2015; and if he will make a statement.

This is an employer and employee matter between the East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust and Mr Aditya Agrawal respectively. The Department cannot comment on individual employment matters that are the responsibility of independent organisations, and that are subject to ongoing legal proceedings or on matters relating to individual clinical cases or other personal information. We understand that the cost to East Lancashire Trust of legal proceedings concerning Mr Agrawal is £296,848.42 to date, and that the Trust does not have insurance costs for legal awards in the event of the Trust or one of its employees being subject to legal action for defamation.