Walk in my shoes. Peter Wilmshurst Consultant Cardiologist Royal Stoke University Hospital UK

Transcription

1 Walk in my shoes Peter Wilmshurst Consultant Cardiologist Royal Stoke University Hospital UK

2 My main interest is research fraud Health insurers should be interested in research fraud because Those who commit research fraud often commit financial healthcare fraud Research fraud leads to useless treatments which costs health insurers money

3 Rating providers on tackling fraud Very low

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5 Dr Clive Handler Finding of serious professional misconduct by the Professional Conduct Committee of the General Medical Council on 15 Nov 2002 He used a private patient billing scam to embezzle research funds from a charity Medical Director who chaired the hospital internal investigation was Professor Peter Richards Prof Richards and Hospital Trust Board agreed a severance agreement with Handler including that they would not inform police or GMC

6 Professor Peter Richards Professor Richards was GMC member & Chair of Professional Conduct Committee Dean & Professor of Medicine at St Mary s Pro-Rector of Medicine at Imperial College Chairman of the Council of Deans of UK Medical Schools & Faculties GMC s lawyers and I complained about conduct of Richards and the GMC refused to act Richards was allowed back to chair PCC hearings

7 Professor Peter Collins When promoted to professor, the Royal Brompton Hospital was aware that he had made false statements about qualifications in applications for junior and senior posts, and he put false qualifications on letters & medical directories. Whistle-blower advised by Sir Philip Otton that he would suffer unless he dropped the matter.

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9 A K Banerjee Removed from the Medical Register Research fraud Financially defrauded patients and insurers by doing inappropriate operations and incorrect billing A decade of concerns about his clinical skills

10 Professor Timothy Peters Head of the Dept of Clinical Biochemistry King s College, London Director of Pathology Services, King s Healthcare Sub-Dean for Higher Degrees & Postgraduates, King s College School of Medicine and Dentistry Associate Dean Thames Postgraduate Medical Education Dept of University of London Editor of two journals

11 The code of silence in medicine is international Dr John Darsee - Harvard Dr Bob Slutsky - San Diego Dr Anil Potti - Duke University Prof Donald Poldermans - Erasmus University, Rotterdam Prof Joachim Boldt - Ludwigshafen, Germany

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13 The code of silence in medicine flourishes Dishonesty in medicine is widespread Dishonesty is tolerated by colleagues, concealed by institutions and escapes punishment Institutions often protect dishonest doctors in part to protect their own reputation and income Dishonesty is institutionalised Whistleblowers are bullied English defamation laws protect the guilty

14 BMJ Surveys of research fraud Half of UK academics knew of research fraud, 8% retracted, 3% dismissed % knew that colleagues had falsified data, 6% aware of misconduct in their own institution.

15 Dr Edgar Sowton Sowton had very large PCI practice published false PCI mortality data. Edgar Sowton was President of BCS private coronary angioplasty on George Ryb (age 53) at the London Bridge Hospital. Sowton asked Ryb to pay for stand-by team. LAD dissected - no surgical or anaesthetic cover - Ryb died. Sowton s defence organisation (insurer) settled with Ryb s family. (Parliament Health Committee)

16 Ealing Hospital and Sharmila Chowdury Sharmila Chowdury - radiology manager at Ealing Hospital. Reported that 2 senior radiologists were working at a private hospital when they were paid to work for NHS. She was suspended, escorted from the building and later sacked despite clear evidence that her allegations were true. She is still unemployed despite promise of Health Minister.

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18 The solution Encourage honesty (evidence that medical students become less honest during years at medical school) Complete transparency Protection of those who raise concerns Deterrent punishments for the guilty and those who fail to report misconduct