DZ has recently read an article about a Consultant Paediatrician who is being pursued by the GMC. There are two aspects to this case that I find disturbing.
Firstly the case at the centre of their action is 24 years old. If you check the GMC website you will see that they themselves have a "five year rule". They will not normally investigate cases older than 5 years. So they are acting contrary to their own guidelines.
Secondly, and far more disturbing. The doctor has decided to apply for voluntary erasure. This would terminate the action of the medical practitioners tribunal. Only back in June this year I posted on a similar case. In that case the GMC granted voluntary erasure, the MPT objected, and the case went to court where the legal precedent was set that a doctor can obtain voluntary erasure even if there was a tribunal in progress. On that occasion the GMC were actually the good guys. Which makes it all the more extraordinary that on this occasion the GMC are ignoring this precedent, and have rejected the application. So not only are they being malicious and vindictive, but grossly inconsistent too. One wonders what is their motivation here.
Would it be too much to expect them to abide by their own rules, as well as the law, and be consistent?
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