Scandal of violent doctors allowed to keep their jobs
More than 100 have criminal convictions
Doctors convicted of violent attacks have been allowed to keep their jobs.
We can reveal that more than 100 registered doctors across Scotland have criminal convictions.
Some of the offences would see them banned from other jobs but they have been allowed by the medical profession to continue practising.
John Kell, head of policy at the Patients Association, said: “There should always be transparency for patients about when doctors may continue to practise after a conviction.
“It’s not always necessary to stop them practising, depending on the offence. But we wouldn’t The Trooping the Colour ceremony to mark the Queen’s birthday proved too much for five Guardsmen yesterday – when they fainted.
To be fair, temperatures had soared to 27C in London and they were in full uniform, including a bearskin.
One of the men fell forward out of his formation and landed face down as the band marched towards his position on Horse Guards Parade.
They were all stretchered off and were said to be fine after being checked over and hydrated. expect a doctor convicted of a violent or sexual offence to be allowed to continue working with patients.”
Figures obtained by the General Medical Counci l show 104 doctors in Scotland have convictions but are still allowed to practise. One has been convicted of domestic violence and two for violence.
Two have been convicted of possession of drugs.
The statistics also include 28 doctors with records for dangerous driving and another 28 for drink-driving.
But tribunals have decided their offences were not serious enough to see them struck off.
Last year, an Aberdeenshire GP who hit an aggressive patient after being called out to treat him at the roadside escaped being struck off.
Dr Martin Thom had to attend to the drunk man alone.
He hit him twice in the head and pushed him against a wall. He later claimed the man had shoved and hit him first.
Thom was fined £ 360 and faced losing his career.
But the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service let him off with a two-month suspension after he apologised.
There are 1105 practising doctors in the UK with criminal conv ict ions , i ncludi ng possession of indecent pictures of kids, sexual assault, soliciting for the purpose of prostitution and caus ing death by dangerous or careless driving. A GMC spokesman said: “It’s important that doctors are held to account if there are concerns about their practice or professional behaviour.
“In very serious cases, a doctor’s practice will be restricted to protect their patients. In other cases, a thorough investigation will determine that a warning is appropriate.
“A warning is serious and is designed to send a clear message that the doctor must learn from their mistake and not repeat it.
“Warnings remain on the doctor’s record for five years and are visible to patients and employers on the publiclyavailable medical register.”