A&E doctor lets wife jump queue and she’s in and out in 26mins

A HOSPITAL consultant has been suspended after it was revealed he arranged for his wife to jump the queue at a busy A&E department.

Dr Brian Flavin’s intervention meant his wife Oriel was seen, X-rayed and discharged within just 26 minutes of entering the casualty unit.

Afterwards he took medical supplies from the hospital to treat her at home. Dr Flavin, 48, then falsified medical records to cover his tracks. An internal investigation began after a tip- off from a member of staff at Christchurch Hospital in Dorset.

He has since been suspended for a month following a disciplinary hearing held by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service – but was spared from being struck off.

The panel heard that Dr Flavin was working in the A&E department at Christchurch Hospital on July 31, 2016, when his wife, 49, who is also a doctor, arrived with their son.

The nature of her injury was not disclosed but she had earlier spoken on the phone to her husband about her being seen.

The tribunal heard she was registered at the A&E department at 8.57pm, skipped the triage system and sent for an immediate X-ray. She was discharged at 9.23pm.

Dr Flavin said it was a busy night and the department was under- staffed. In its findings the tribunal concluded: ‘Dr Flavin … was concerned that his son might have been disruptive in the department if required to wait, or that he would require Dr Flavin’s supervision. This might have impacted on Dr Flavin’s A&E duties.

‘Dr Flavin… already knew his wife’s medical history… so it was in the interests of efficiency that he sent her for an X-ray, rather than her having to go through the process again with a colleague.’

The tribunal decided that Dr Flavin’s actions ‘were intended to keep the A&E department running as smoothly and efficiently as possible’ and added that he had not tried to conceal what he had done.

But the tribunal also heard

‘Significant dishonesty’

how he took intravenous fluid and dressings from the hospital on four occasions between March 24 and April 5, 2017, to treat his wife at home. He falsified documents to pretend his wife had attended A&E so he could prescribe the medicine.

The tribunal was told Dr Flavin at the time was suffering ‘significant financial and personal difficulties’, and he genuinely believed that treating his wife at home was the ‘best way to manage her health issues’.

But the tribunal found: ‘We determined that Dr Flavin’s dishonesty, which included the falsifying of records, was significant.’

The creation of false medical records was ‘egregious’.

Dr Flavin left Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals Trust in August 2017.