So, Dr Jerome Ikwueke is pilloried in the press for his perceived errors in the sad case of Peter Connelly (Baby P). Obviously, if there was any clinical negligence, it should be investigated, but this particular doctor’s career is pretty much screwed now, whatever the outcome of the case. And what’s the betting that he’ll be the only professional required to carry the can for poor Peter’s death?
Actually he won’t be the only one, of course. Kim Holt, the paediatrician who blew the whistle over the dangerous shortcomings at the clinic that was involved remains suspended from her post by Great Ormond Street Hospital, six months after the publication of a report which recommended that she should be allowed to return to work as soon as possible.
Obviously, I don’t know the full background to Dr Holt’s suspension, but given that the trust offered her money if she would withdraw the complaint about the clinic, it seems likely that if she had just kept quiet, she would still be gainfully employed. Which does rather suggest that those who claim that doctors are ‘damned if they do, and damned if they don’t’ when it comes to raising concerns about standards of care do have a point. So I’ll re-phrase the question posed above: what’s the betting that doctors will be the only professionals required to carry the can?
Mind you, we soon won’t need doctors at all, as long as we follow the lifestyle advice which is now so freely available in the media. Who would have thought that the latest celeb to join the dreadful Gillian McKeith in advising us on healthy living would be this chap?
Presumably his healthy eating tips will include the recipe for bat’s head and cocaine risotto, which actually wouldn’t be as bad as some of McKeith’s nostrums. And I suppose there may be some logic in the suggestion that anyone who is still around after leading the life he has led must know something about survival, at least.
Although if we follow that logic, it will presumably mean that we’ll also be asked to take advice on leadership from John Terry, on financial prudence from Gordon Brown and on restructuring medical careers from Liam Donaldson. Oh, wait a minute…
Tags: Baby P
While I agree that doctors are often ’scape goated’ when there’s a systemic failure, it hasn’t just been the medical profession who have paid the price over Baby P.
The social workers involved were sacked by their employer and suspended by their regulator http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/2010/05/27/114600/haringey-defends-sacking-of-baby-ps-social-workers.htm
Haven’t noticed many improvements in the system though - everyone working in child protection still working too hard, with too many cases, etc.