CRHP refers first cases for High Court review
Professional disciplinary cases have begun to be referred by the Council for the Regulation of Healthcare Professionals to the High Court for review. Although none of the current cases have involved pharmacists, they could in future.
Mandie Lavin, director of fitness to practise and legal affairs at the
Royal Pharmaceutical Society, said that there were concerns that the
CRHP was making referrals to the High Court at the same time as consulting
on how referrals would occur. The Society was concerned that its views
on the process would not be taken seriously. But she recognised that
the CRHP was in uncharted waters and said that clarity would come as
cases were reviewed by the court.
The first case to be reviewed will be heard on 25 February. It concerns
a nurse who was cautioned as to his future conduct by the Nursing and
Midwifery Council. The nurse was found guilty of misconduct after accessing
pornography using hospital computers. There was no police prosecution.The
NMC’s finding was that the nurse had used hospital equipment for
his own purposes and that this was an abuse of trust. The council considered
removing the nurse from the professional register but it ruled that there
was no evidence of any direct harm to patients and that the nurse did
not pose a risk to the public.
Two further cases concern decisions by the General Medical Council. In
one, a GP was found not guilty of serious professional misconduct. He
admitted to an emotional and sexual relationship with a patient who had
psychiatric problems but the charges were not proved. The second case
concerned a GP who was ordered to be suspended from the medical register
after admitting a sexual relationship with a depressed patient and falsifying
his CV. The committee ruled that the GP’s misconduct was serious,
but not sufficiently so as to justify removal from the register. |
The
Pharmaceutical Journal