NHS IT supremo Richard Granger, whose leadership of the Connecting for Health fiasco pockets him a cool £280,000 a year, failed his computer studies course at Bristol Uni, his mum has revealed.

According to The Evening Standard, 62-year-old retired teacher Mary Granger explained: "He was disappointed when he failed his computer studies course at Bristol. It was pretty serious, so I had to write to Princess Anne, who at that time was 'university visitor' there to appeal for him to be allowed to resit the exam, as initially he was refused permission."

Mercifully, Mr Granger passed the exam at the second attempt, and graduated with a 2.2 in geology. He apparently hasn't spoken to his mother for 10 years following a family row, which might explain why she added: "I can't believe that my son is running the IT modernisation programme for the whole of the NHS."

Mrs Granger is currently campaigning to save the main maternity unit of her local Huddersfield Royal Infirmary. She said: "I feel dismayed that I'm watching the hospital where I gave birth to my children, where Harold Wilson was born, being dismantled. Some of the money which goes into Connecting for Health could be saving my local services." ®

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