Ebola doc’s dishonesty was ‘isolated incident’
A DOCTOR’S dishonesty in a phone conversation about Ebola nurse Pauline Cafferkey was “an isolated incident in an otherwise unblemished career”, a medical tribunal has been told.
Dr Hannah Ryan took the temperature of Scottish nurse Ms Cafferkey as they waited to go through Ebola virus screening at Heathrow Airport on December 28, 2014 as part of a “selfless” group of UK medics who volunteered to help fight the outbreak in west Africa that left tens of thousands dead.
It revealed the nurse had a high temperature of 38.2C, a warning sign for Ebola.
But instead of raising the alarm, a lower temperature of 37.2C was recorded and Ms Cafferkey was allowed to travel home to Scotland.
She fell ill with Ebola the next day.
On Monday, t he Medical Practioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) found Dr Ryan concealed her involve- ment i n taking Ms Cafferkey’s temperature when she told a Public Health England (PHE) official days later on January 2 it was “normal”.
The tribunal found such were the stressful conditions her judgment at Heathrow may have been understandably clouded, but not days later, and her conduct was dishonest, which Dr Ryan had denied.
Yesterday, counsel for Dr Ryan and the General Medical Council (GMC) made submissions to the MPTS as to whether her fitness to practise was impaired.
Robert Booth QC, for Dr Ryan, said the phone conversation with Dr Nick Gent from PHE took place when Dr Ryan had “extreme worry” for Ms Cafferkey’s health and worries for her own health and that of her family.
He said: “This was an isolated incident in an otherwise unblemished career.
“She phoned him back on the same day to ensure he was aware of the full picture.
“She wanted to do the right thing. There is no evidence here of serious or persistent failures to meet standards.
A decision on impairment was expected today.