One of our regular readers (not you, the other one) has kindly sent in a link to this GMC case.
Dr Rant always finds GMC cases where the doctor is struck off sad and frightening. Sad, because of the often seemingly pointless damage to the patients (and the doctor) of the doctor's errant behaviour. Frightening because working in a corrupt system which prefers scapegoats to truth, and knowing that every doctor makes a serious mistake at some point, all doctors secretly fear the knock at the door.
The GP in the above case had clearly lost the plot, however. He had not replaced his outgoing partner, and was looking after 5000 patients on his own with the help of a Nurse Practitioner and 2000 pre-signed prescriptions.
The judgment does have a wider message, however. Barking as this GP's Noctor policy was, he had only 5000 patients to fuck up. Yet, many PCOs around the country with millions of patients to look after are either providing or commissioning Noctor-heavy GP-lite services - both daytime and Out of Hours - that are just as deranged and just as dangerous.
Will we be seeing the Medical Directors of those PCOs in front of the GMC any time soon to be similarly struck off? I think not.
But don't feel too sorry for this GP - he did not turn up to the hearing, based on his year of graduation the GP is around retirement age, and he must have been raking in the money with 5000 patients on his books but only a couple of nurses on the payroll. I can only hope the poor nurse practitioner was a better GP than he was. She is unlikely to have made any money from her adventure, but is just as likely to end up with her own entry in the NMC website some time soon.
The nurse always gets shafted.
Oh, and the patients. But, strangely, never the politicians - lay or medical.
Dr Rant always finds GMC cases where the doctor is struck off sad and frightening. Sad, because of the often seemingly pointless damage to the patients (and the doctor) of the doctor's errant behaviour. Frightening because working in a corrupt system which prefers scapegoats to truth, and knowing that every doctor makes a serious mistake at some point, all doctors secretly fear the knock at the door.
The GP in the above case had clearly lost the plot, however. He had not replaced his outgoing partner, and was looking after 5000 patients on his own with the help of a Nurse Practitioner and 2000 pre-signed prescriptions.
The judgment does have a wider message, however. Barking as this GP's Noctor policy was, he had only 5000 patients to fuck up. Yet, many PCOs around the country with millions of patients to look after are either providing or commissioning Noctor-heavy GP-lite services - both daytime and Out of Hours - that are just as deranged and just as dangerous.
Will we be seeing the Medical Directors of those PCOs in front of the GMC any time soon to be similarly struck off? I think not.
But don't feel too sorry for this GP - he did not turn up to the hearing, based on his year of graduation the GP is around retirement age, and he must have been raking in the money with 5000 patients on his books but only a couple of nurses on the payroll. I can only hope the poor nurse practitioner was a better GP than he was. She is unlikely to have made any money from her adventure, but is just as likely to end up with her own entry in the NMC website some time soon.
The nurse always gets shafted.
Oh, and the patients. But, strangely, never the politicians - lay or medical.
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6 comments:
oh, but it's so different for the NPs who have been on the four week course and had a few paper filling sessions.....
unfortunately it isn't and this case perfectly demonstrates just how dangerous this dumbing down agenda is.
NPs when used to work in general doctoring role are absolutely useless, even if they have their lame little competencies ticked off.
Experienced nurses should be specialists in nursing areas, not doctoring areas.
If I, as a doctor, tried to convert to nursing with minimal extra training, you can guarantee I'd be told to f*ck off.
So why is it so damn pc to tell the nurses to f*ck off when they have a budget go a at being a doctor without the neccessary knowledge or training?
The real danger is in the Emergency care practitioner (ECP) role.
Take an experienced Paramedic with no real minor illness/minor injury/pharmacology knowledge. Bung him into Uni for 16 weeks..hey presto, an OOH Doc on the cheap!
How easy would it be to place a limit on the number of patients per GP allowed as a maximum?
Around 2000 should be the limit, don't you think? Would that reduce the likelihood of this kind of abuse?
I'm sure this case has been reported before in another blog. Gray was a sole practitioer (a la Shipman). Clearly an incompetent and negligent GP. It's amazing that the system allows people like this to continue in practice.
I am surpised that the patients were OK with it given that name of the nurse. After all, "The doctor isn't here, we can give you MRS A" should've sounded some warning bells.
The Panel: Mr D Kyle, Chairman (Lay), Mr S Burton (Lay) , Ms E Samupfonda (Lay)
Mr S Galbraith (Medical).
So lay beats medical by 3:1
Not exactly tried by his peers then was he.
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