By John HowardA HOSPITAL driver has been sacked after driving at speeds of up to 93mph as he took a sick boy home.Great Ormond Street Hospital and Medical Services, which provides transport to and from the London children's hospital, launched an investigation after Roger Rothery complained about the incident.

By John Howard

A HOSPITAL driver has been sacked after reaching speeds of up to 93mph as he took a sick boy home.

Great Ormond Street Hospital and Medical Services, which provides transport to and from the London children's hospital, launched an investigation after Roger Rothery complained about the incident.

Mr Rothery, from Stowupland, near Stowmarket, had complained to the hospital that his wife and 14-year-old son had been driven home by a driver who reached speeds of up to 93mph on the A11.

He has now received a written report into the investigation and apologies from both the company and the hospital.

The report said Medical Services' vehicle tracking system had been reviewed for the journey, confirming the driver had reached a speed of 93.1mph on the A11 on July 4.

Based on this information, the driver - who has not been named - was dismissed immediately and Domenic Kasinos, operations director for the company, offered his sincere apologies to the Rothery family.

Mr Rothery's son Ryan needed regular dialysis at the London hospital after a failed kidney transplant and was being driven home when the incident happened.

“It's unbelievable. Ryan was asleep, but it is very worrying to know that these vehicles could be driven at such a high speed. They are transporting a child and a carer and should be driving in an appropriate manner,” he said.

His wife, Melanie, added: “I was just watching the speedometer in utter disbelief, it was quite a frightening experience.”

A spokeswoman for Great Ormond Street Hospital said it had conducted a full investigation following Mr Rothery's complaint.

“The driver involved was immediately suspended. After this was confirmed by the investigation, he was dismissed,” she said.

“We would like to emphasise that although there are systems in place to assess and monitor the calibre of drivers, the support of patients and families is also needed to help monitor them effectively.

“The team are, therefore, grateful to Mr Rothery for bringing this matter to their attention. We would like to convey our sincere regret for the actions of the driver.”

john.howard@eadt.co.uk