BBC 4 producer, Julian Sturdy investigated GMC following the government's decision to make the charity regulating doctors more responsible.
Several members of Doctors4Justice assisted the program. Please, click on the photograph to hear it.
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3 comments:
Sorry but this programme pulled its punches.
It had the chance to really grill Dickinson on the GMC but instead it turned into a bit of a cosy chat. Dickinson claimed the fact that Barton's brother didn't declare his conflict of interest was a "moot point". No Dickinson, it is serious point that requires investigation. It is not enough to try to pass the buck by saying he expects to know of such conflicts as current CEO while implying that the issue in question is now an irrelevance. Another potential doctor's misconduct slips the net as a result of GMC expediency over principle.
And to claim that the GMC is not there to offer redress for patients is disingenuous. Of course it has no role in providing financial redress but patients have a legitimate expectation that serious concerns will be investigated and prosecuted, resulting in appropriate sanction rflecting the gravity of the misconduct. In this sense, the GMC does have a role to play in giving the patient redress. After all, why was Shipman struck off at all when he was in prison for life and couldn't possibly present a risk to patients? Because justice needs to be seen to be done. This concept applies equally across the board from the extreme cases such as Shipman to misdemeanours requiring only a warning.
Dickinson is a blinkered bureaucrat much like the previous GMC CEOs.
Excellent program. Exposed very well current attitudes are no different but we would expect this from management appointed during Labour Government and still covering up for them.
Moot point means of no legal significance. This is rubbish and shows that Mr Dickson is not aware that current complaints before GMC about Professor Bulstrode can be taken to court and that Crown Prosecution Service can re-open the case of Dr Barton.
Mr Dickson needs waking up, I think.
A challenge to any refusal by the GMC to investigate Bulstrode would be highly likely to fail because legal representation is extremely expensive and litigants in person aren't taken seriously by the court.
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