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A provisional enquiry into a doctor’s fitness to practice was initiated by the GMC. This action followed concerns raised by a patient’s mother regarding the care provided to her child.
The Doctor was a Trust Grade Registrar in an adult intensive care unit when the incident occurred. They performed an initial assessment of the patient, who was exhibiting moderate respiratory distress, at the request of the paediatric registrar. At this point, the paediatric team was already involved, had started the patient on antibiotics, and had established a preliminary diagnosis of sepsis.
At the time of the review, the Doctor determined there was no immediate or imminent need for intubation. Nevertheless, as a precautionary measure, and acknowledging the risk of deterioration in children with respiratory sepsis coupled with the paediatric ward’s limited availability of intubation equipment and drugs, the Doctor prepared all necessary equipment and calculated the required drug doses.
Our member was subsequently called to attend to a critically ill patient in the emergency department, and did not return to the aforementioned patient until several hours later.
On their return to the ICU, a consultant colleague was overseeing the rapidly deteriorating patient and had made the decision to proceed with intubation, which our member then performed. Despite the multidisciplinary team’s best efforts, the patient subsequently suffered a cardiac arrest. Sadly, resuscitation was unsuccessful, and the patient died.
A coroner’s inquest into the patient’s death concluded that the patient died from multi-organ failure due to sepsis, and that their death was contributed to by neglect in that there were repeated missed opportunities from both a nursing and clinical perspective to recognise and respond to the patient’s deteriorating condition.
Following the Coroner’s report, the GMC initiated a provisional enquiry into the actions of the member. The enquiry focused on two main areas:
The GMC first sought an independent medical expert’s opinion. This expert concluded that the care provided by the doctor fell below the expected standard. Subsequently, the doctor was invited to submit their comments on the concerns raised.
Our multidisciplinary team at MDS collaborated closely with our member to formulate a clear and comprehensive response to the GMC’s concerns, addressing both the legal and medico-legal aspects. We also advised the doctor to provide a factual statement of their interaction with the patient and to reflect on the expert’s criticisms to pinpoint areas for improvement in the care they delivered.
The GMC’s provisional enquiry concluded with a recommendation that the member should incorporate reflection on the concerns raised into their forthcoming appraisal.
Find yourself in a similar situation? Contact MDS as soon as possible to discuss your situation, our team will support you in making the best decision for you and your patients. Call our office on 0300 30 32 442 or email or case managers at [email protected] mentioning your membership number.
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