Advisor surgeon life almost torn aside by General Medical Council
A guide surgeon says watchdog the General Medical Council should not be weaponised to maintain whistleblowers silent.
Dr Omer Karim says he was referred to GMC on costs that just about wrecked his profession after he claimed unsafe practices had been risking lives at his hospital.
He stated he may see parallels with the Lucy Letby case, during which medical doctors who tried to lift the alarm over the serial killer say they had been instructed to maintain silent.
Mr Karim misplaced his NHS job, his personal apply and the household dwelling throughout a 4 12 months battle with a Berkshire NHS belief and medical doctors’ regulator, the General Medical Council.
Mr Karim, one of many nation’s prime robotic surgeons for prostate and kidney most cancers, ended up dwelling in a Travelodge whereas he took on the £300k battle with the regulator.
Mr Karim, a 64 12 months outdated father of two, stated allegations towards him arose from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) report in 2014 which dominated Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was insufficient and wanted “urgent improvements.”
It stated workers “did not feel they could raise concerns”. Mr Karim went on radio to debate the Trust’s failings and blew the whistle on what he described as a poor surgical apply by inadequately-trained surgeons.
He was suspended from the Trust in July 2014 on what he says had been trumped up costs of bullying a junior colleague. In May 2015 he was instructed except he signed a settlement agreeing to not take motion towards any Trust administration he would face a disciplinary motion and be sacked.
This would imply he couldn’t get NHS employment once more. As a results of the fees, he stated the GMC put “catastrophic” and “life changing” restrictions on his medical apply throughout its investigation.
A Fitness to Practice listening to happened in April 2018 when he was discovered to not have dedicated misconduct. Mr Karim stated the way in which he was focused for whistleblowing had echoes of the case of Lucy Letby, who was discovered responsible of murdering seven infants whereas a nurse on the Countess of Chester hospital.
A senior baby specialist on the Countess of Chester, Dr Stephen Brearey, accused executives of “bullying” and “intimidating” senior medical doctors who raised considerations about Letby.