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GP faces four month wait following death of patient
Doctor altered computer records to show he had spoken to woman before she died
A DOCTOR who altered computer records to say he had spoken to a patient the day before she died will find out in four months if he can practice again.
GP Dr Harbikramjit Chandok, 33, was told five times Pam Bryson required a visit to her Albany Street home, yet he put off visiting her until the next day, by which time she had died of a suspected heart attack, a General Medical Council panel heard last week.
The tribunal considered 12 charges relating to Dr Chandok’s conduct towards Mrs Bryson, his management of the 6,000-patient Regent’s Park Medical Centre in Cumberland Market and allegations he harassed staff to withdraw statements. He admitted the majority of the charges.
After nine hours of deliberations, the panel ruled on Friday Dr Chandok had “intended to mislead” by altering patient records and had pressurised two employees to withdraw damaging statements. But Dr Chandok was cleared of mismanagement of the surgery.
The week-long case had drawn questions over the running of the surgery, which has long been dogged by internal politics, as staff complained of disorganisation and lack of patient care.
Delivering the panel’s verdict on Friday, chairwoman Dr Chita Bharucha told Dr Chandok a series of concerns over Mrs Bryson’s health were reported to him “on five separate and successive occasions by computer message, email, telephone and in person”.
Ruling his conduct was unprofessional, inappropriate and not in the best interest of the patient, Dr Bharucha added: “Your response to these several reports was to telephone the patient. You made a clinical assessment of her condition in a period of two minutes and 58 seconds, paying inadequate heed to the reports about a patient of whom you had prior knowledge.”
But during the hearing, Dr Chandok explained his decision, saying: “I couldn’t find any specific reason why she needed a visit that day. I asked if it’s okay if I could visit the following day. I remember telling her if things did change to phone back. I didn’t detect any pain or panic in her voice.”
Philip Gaisford, representing Dr Chandok, said: “He has admitted he got it wrong and he got it wrong professionally because he was thrown off or misled by the patient making light of her problems. He made a professional mistake, he was not unprofessional.”
Dr Chandok remains suspended pending a fitness to practice hearing in February.
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