DESTROYED IN COURT
0428 TRIBUNAL - MY HEALTH 2000
[Part of my submission to the Tribunal]
Dr Sorrell’s 2000 report, rather than focusing on the psychological aspects which had been suggested by the Dean, clearly stressed a number of other medical issues which OUBS management had to address, most specifically those of my diabetes and cardiac problems. Equally, though, he also stressed that my workload and stress should be addressed in general and any changes in these immediately dealt with. Despite this, no beneficial actions were taken by OUBS management - in spite of the obvious increase in my workload and my deteriorating health - and indeed extra stresses were imposed (not least by reassigning members of my course team).
42. Subsequent to the 2000 medical report, I indeed informed the OU of the definitive diagnosis of an occluded left anterior descending cardiac artery; a major, life-threatening, heart condition which could only be resolved by bypass surgery – which was, however, not suitable for my specific condition. Even then no beneficial action was taken by my (OUBS) management.
43. However, the earlier email announcing the initial diagnosis of my angina is best seen as reporting the onset, in one form or another, of developing cardiac symptoms in general. Indeed it is likely that the severe panic attacks, which resulted from my excessive workload, may ultimately have been one cause of that angina; where such cardiac conditions can be very sensitive to such stress! The formal diagnosis by angiogram at the Regional Cardiac Centre (in the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford) - of a blocked cardiac artery (more popularly described as a major heart attack), the occluded left anterior descending cardiac artery, which subsequently developed - did not come until 18 months later.
44. The impact of stress on my physical health is best shown, however, by my own report on the ‘Causal Factors’. In this, the clear relation between workload and my diabetes is shown by the following chart, an earlier version of which was provided to Dr Sorrell in 2002:
There is an obvious visual correlation, between my (diabetic) blood sugar levels, at the top, which so clearly follow the same patterns as my ‘corrected workload’ and ‘stress + workload’ indices, below, This indisputably shows that I am one of the group of diabetes sufferers whose illness is widely recognized as being significantly worsened by exposure to stress. Even so, and despite the rigorous requirements so clearly imposed by Dr Sorrell, no beneficial actions were taken by OUBS management over the next year to alleviate my workload - even as these evidently became necessary. Indeed, well aware of my disabilities, the pressures imposed by management were dramatically increased!
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