General Medical Council Is a BIG FAT FAILURE.

During an the post Shipman era, we have monitored the GMC's Fitness to Practise. The GMC essentially is supposed to protect patients. This is what Finlay Scott tells all of us. We noted that it took 10 years to bring Priya Ramanath back to the UK. We ask ourselves what the GMC's International Liaison Team were doing? Dunking their biscuits in tea perhaps? The role of the GMC isn't made clear here. She cannot be found on the online GMC Register at present. We should also note that the GMC kept two suspected terrorists on the GMC Register for about a week.

In an era where most of our colleagues have gone down the steps of the GMC on frivolous charges that do not involve patient safety, we question whether the GMC is functioning properly. The last week has seen them sporting their infamous sex case where they all listened intently while the GPs receptionist described how she could not keep her legs crossed. Did we have to listen to how she was gagging for it? Did we have to listen to her tryst in Paris.

We present an interesting case from our files supplied by some previous doctors who faced the GMC on frivolous charges. The case below is similar to that of Dr Ramanath above. It shows that the GMC simply forgave her and she walked away without a blemish on her career or her name. The doctor injected neat potassium into a patient. The patient died.

In the interim, Dr Prabhu Satya, a junior doctor was struck off for a CV error he made while at medical school. A muslim junior doctor was suspended for writing a letter to Pulse. A second muslim doctor was given a warning for writing a rude email to one of the Royal Colleges. The lady who never seems to give up has been investigated three times and the latest being for a "link" to a public document. The doctor who threatened to bomb the GMC in jest was suspended for one year. We are told today that the GMC have taken up a case against a junior who reported a senior for bullying. The complaint of bullying was dropped, the GMC Assessor Dr Christopher Kelly has used the junior doctor's email [that reported the bullying] as evidence of personality problems [in the junior doctor]. The precedent set here is this, no doctor can report bulling or victimization to the GMC. This is despite the NHS's recommendation of zero tolerance to bullying in the NHS. If bullying is reported, you can be sure the GMC will reverse the allegations onto the doctor. Everyone of course is aware that Remedy UK's request for an investigation into the MMC catastrophe was rejected at the primary stage without any investigation. Junior doctors lives were destroyed and the GMC is quite happy to sit and watch. We raised the case of Dr Helen Bright who was trailed by the GMC for asking a nun not to wear her uniform in front of traumatized patients.

None of these doctors have had " patient safety" concerns. They have though been harassed by the GMC, their careers are now in ruins.

Doctors who seem to neglect patients seem to get away from the guillotine of the General Medical Council. Dr Jarman [of Toth v Jarman] jumped ship and declared himself unable to practice due to an " anxiety disorder related to the GMC". Dr Jarman was successful in his application for voluntary erasure. This is Oxfordshire stated “Dr David Jarman, of Wallingford Road, Cholsey, became the first doctor to duck allegations of serious professional misconduct under new regulations for "voluntary erasure". Dr Jarman failed to give Wilfred Toth a potentially lifesaving injection after he suffered a diabetes-type fit in 1993. The boy later died”.

Are they therefore catching the wrong doctors?

We present the case of a doctor who continues to work in the NHS. The GMC has allowed this doctor to work. We have presented this to show the inconsistent manner in which the GMC acts. Currently, no independent investigation of the GMC's own conduct has been carried out. The malfunctioning organization described by Dame Janet Smith still continues without any accountability. As the public can see, the GMC is not protecting the public. As we always say, the public face of the GMC is different from the private face. While the above doctors are not working in the NHS, the doctor below is in a hospital near you telling us all that if you kill a patient, all is forgiven and if you are politically incorrect, you are given warnings, dragged down fitness to practise procedures and your life is made a living hell.

Doctor faces patient death probe
Jan 29 2002
by Liz Hull, Liverpool Echo

A JUNIOR doctor at a Liverpool hospital could face criminal charges after an elderly woman died when she was given an injection by mistake.

Clare Dobson, 71, of Markfield Crescent, Halewood, died after potassium chloride - the drug used to execute prisoners on death row - was injected straight into her blood stream instead of through a drip. The female medic, who has not been named, has been interviewed by detectives over the blunder.

The university graduate had been working at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital for just six weeks when the mistake happened.

Ms Dobson, a retired cleaner, was recovering from an operation to remove parts of her
pancreas but suffered cardiac arrest after the injection.

Doctors tried to resuscitate the pensioner but she suffered brain damage and died in intensive care on October 1 last year.

Bosses at the Royal launched an internal investigation and ordered the junior doctor not to deal directly with patients. She was not suspended but has since gone through a period of retraining.

Liverpool coroner Andre Rebello said no date had been set for the inquest into Ms Dobson's death because it was the subject of a criminal investigation.He said: "The circumstances of her death are being investigated by the police and the matter is with the Crown Prosecution Service."As yet the CPS have yet to make a decision on whether criminal proceedings should be taken with regard to the events surrounding this death."

A spokeswoman for Merseyside police confirmed they had been called in to investigate.
She said: "A police investigation has been taken place in relation to the death of a 71-year-old
woman at the Royal, following a Home Office post-mortem."A file has now been passed to the CPS and we are awaiting their decision."

From: "McGeorge Sam (RQ6) RLBUHT"
Sent: Friday, July 15, 2005 1:34 PM
Subject: FOI Request

Dear

Thank you for your request under section 1a of the Freedom of Information
Act 2000.
Regarding your request, please note the Doctor was not named in the
published article and you provided this Trust with the Doctor's name, which
was Dr Shamala Rajalingham.
Under section 40 of the Freedom of Information Act, information which relates
to personal data, Dr Shamala Rajalingham's ethnic origin is exempt from
release.
You have already confirmed Dr Shamala Rajalingham did obtain full
registration with the General Medical Council, which was delayed by one year.
I can confirm that Dr Shamala Rajalingham was immediately removed from all
clinical duties within this Trust and underwent a period of retraining and
assessment while investigations were carried out. She recommenced clinical
duties after satisfactory retraining within another NHS Trust.
Please contact us if you have any further questions or queries.
Many thanks,
Sam McGeorge
FOI Co-ordinator
Access to Information Office
Sam.mcgeorge@rlbuht.nhs.uk
0151 706 2677


3rd August 2005. Ref FOI54

Dear

Thank you for your request under section 1a of the Freedom of Information
Act. Answers to your request are as follows: -
1. Dr Ramalingam was referred to the GMC Education Committee by the
Deanery.
2. Dr Ramalingam was not charged by the Crown Prosecution Service.
3. The Dr re-trained under Dr Williams of Halton DGH.

Yours sincerely
Sam McGeorge

FOI Co-ordinator