Griffiths report is fundamentally flawed

Four months ago, the government published the outcome of a 15 month inquiry into the way in which paediatric research was being conducted in Stoke. It provoked media headlines of "yet another NHS scandal," and this word featured on the caption to our editorial that week. Hey and Chalmers now suggest (p 752) that the scandal was not what was done by, but what was done to, the nurses and doctors in Stoke. They argue that the conduct of the inquiry was fundamentally flawed and that a grave injustice was done to those involved. By taking an inadequate history and arranging but a cursory examination, the panel got their diagnosis wrong. Some of the "medicine" they recommend may also do more harm than good.

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    StumbleUpon    Technorati    What's this?

Relevant Article

Investigating allegations of research misconduct: the vital need for due process • Commentary: Response from members of the Griffiths inquiry

Edmund Hey, Iain Chalmers, Rod Griffiths, Terence E Stacey, and Joyce Struthers
BMJ 2000 321: 752. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]