Daily Mail
November 21, 2013
A disgraced NHS heart surgeon who caused infections which led to the deaths of five patients has been allowed back to work, it has emerged.
John Chen Lui Lu infected his patients with a deadly bug during heart surgery between December 2008 and July 2010, when he constantly changed his gloves mid-operation.
Dennis Mills, 82, Michael Smithers, 67, Bernard Heald, 83, Alan Daniels, 73 and Albert Rigley, 63, all from Nottinghamshire, died as a result of contracting the staphylococcus epidermidis bacteria.
An inquest in 2010 heard Mr Lu had a habit of changing his gloves in the middle of surgery and of 28 heart patients who had valves inserted by him – 11 fell ill.
The outbreak sparked a major health scare, with more than 100 patients who had undergone heart surgery at Nottingham City Hospital having to be recalled for tests.
At the time Nottingham coroner Dr Nigel Chapman slammed Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust for not recognising the infection quickly enough.
But yesterday it emerged the surgeon has been allowed allowed back to work – and may return to the operating theatre – despite his fatal mistakes.