Doctor who failed to spot Baby P’s injuries is suicidal, GMC hears
BMJ 2010; 340 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.c1096 (Published 23 February 2010) Cite this as: BMJ 2010;340:c1096
All rapid responses
Rapid responses are electronic comments to the editor. They enable our users to debate issues raised in articles published on bmj.com. A rapid response is first posted online. If you need the URL (web address) of an individual response, simply click on the response headline and copy the URL from the browser window. A proportion of responses will, after editing, be published online and in the print journal as letters, which are indexed in PubMed. Rapid responses are not indexed in PubMed and they are not journal articles. The BMJ reserves the right to remove responses which are being wilfully misrepresented as published articles or when it is brought to our attention that a response spreads misinformation.
From March 2022, the word limit for rapid responses will be 600 words not including references and author details. We will no longer post responses that exceed this limit.
The word limit for letters selected from posted responses remains 300 words.
Dr Al-Zayyat's simple statement to the press says it all.
"In my 28 years as a paediatrician I have been devoted to the care of
children and have always tried to do my best for them. I have been and
remain deeply affected by the shocking and tragic circumstances of Baby
Peter's death."
Of course she will have been tormented by it. She may or may not
have made mistakes but how many among us have not? Paediatrians engaged
in child protection - the brave few that are left - will be saying 'There
but for the grace of God go I'.
Immediately she needs counselling and support. Subsequently of course
the GMC or NHS must examine her professional conduct and provide her with
retraining if that is what is required. Instead she is subjected to this
medieval witch hunt masquerading as a GMC hearing which is a full blown
trial by another name with prosecuting counsel and full judicial
rigmarole. In the full glare of media publicity and with a generally
hostile press, the pressure of this ordeal has understandably and
predictably destroyed her health and she has gone home to the support of
her family. A psychiatrist's report says she is potentially suicidal.
Does it take another David Kelly incident to bring some sense to this
situation?
In my opinion the treatment she has received at the hands of the GMC
constitutes cruel and degrading treatment and should not be permitted in a
civilised country.
Can Professor Rubin please explain how the GMC's actions can be
described as being in the public interest?
Ivor Rowlands
Competing interests:
I am a non-medical member of PACA [Professionals Against Child Abuse] and have supported paediatricians involved in child protection.
Competing interests: No competing interests
Response to: Dr Al-Zayyat; An open letter to the GMC
At the GMC our responsibility is to ensure that doctors on the
medical register with a licence are fit to practise in the UK. Where there
are concerns about any doctor’s fitness to practise we have a statutory
duty to investigate. As this is an ongoing fitness to practise case,
clearly it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.
Niall Dickson,
Chief Executive and Registrar,
General Medical Council
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests