In the Public Interest-The GMC decides

I am not a fan of the General Medical Council, since the abysmal decision regarding Mrs “As” treatment and subsequent demise, when they decided that no one was to blame, anyway that is another story which will be posted on the 30th of this month on Angus Dei on all and sundry.

That was back in 2007, and it seems that the single celled organisms that infest the upper echelons of that dysfunctional institution still don’t get it.

A couple of cases have been resolved by the Fitness to Practise Panel recently:

The first is that of “Dr” May Arnaot who has twice been convicted of assaulting people and accused of racial abuse and has been suspended since 2005, and in 2006 crushed a pregnant woman with her 4x4 car over a road rage incident.

During her trial it emerged Dr Arnaot was serving a suspended sentence for racially aggravated assault on a rail worker 10 months earlier.

At a General Medical Council fitness to practice hearing last week, Dr Arnaot angrily interrupted the panel chairman, Professor Kevin Dalton and vowed not to treat British patients.

She claimed she was suffering from extreme menopausal symptoms which caused mood swings and irritability.

She told last week’s hearing: “These matters are entirely anger management matters, or it was combined with gynaecology health issues which have now, with time, been surpassed.”

Professor Dalton told her: “The panel is concerned you have shown limited insight into the seriousness of your convictions and into your professional misconduct, and issues relating to your anger management are still apparent.”

Dr Arnaot was told she must continue anger management counselling and either work for the NHS or in private practice under a named supervisor for 18 months, who will report back to the GMC.

The full FTP decision is here the relevant paragraph is: “In the light of all the evidence presented, the Panel is satisfied that the imposition of conditions on your registration would prove constructive in enabling you to return to medical practice, and that it would allow sufficient objective monitoring of your practice to protect patients. In all the circumstances, the Panel has determined that is appropriate, proportionate and sufficient to impose conditions on your registration for a period of 18 months. In deciding on this period, the Panel has taken into account the time needed for any remedial action to work, and for any reports required to be prepared. Accordingly, it directs that the following conditions be placed on your registration for a period of 18 months.”

In the Public interest?


The second case is that of “Dr” Jonathan Chahal, A General Medical Council disciplinary panel ruled last week that Dr Jonathan Chahal’s fitness to practise had been impaired because of misconduct while working at Ormskirk Hospital.

Panel members had heard evidence he had indulged in “Entonox parties” while on duty at the hospital.

The hearing was told Dr Chahal, 33, used the medical anaesthetic Entonox from a gas canister on five occasions during the summer of 2007 – four of which were while he was on duty.

He also persuaded seven nurses to inhale Entonox – frequently administered in childbirth to alleviate pain – at the same time as him.

On one occasion he was heard giggling in the ward’s resuscitation room and told nurses the drug was “fun” and “made you feel floaty”.

Dr Chahal was sacked from Alder Hey Children’s Hospital – where he later transferred – after the allegations came to light. There were no patient safety implications at Alder Hey.

A General Medical Council (GMC) panel ruled yesterday that public interest was best served by imposing a number of conditions on his registration for the next 12 months.

So we have a “Dr” that is responsible for treating children who seems to be regularly using a noxious gas that impairs his abilities as a doctor, being allowed to continue to practise because according to the GMC “Public Interest” was best served.

Has any of the knobs at the GMC actually asked the Public what they think is in their interest?

Of course not they are far too arrogant for that.


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