Ebola case doctor is guilty of misconduct

A ‘dishonest’ doctor who admitted misleading other medics over ebola nurse Pauline Cafferkey is guilty of serious misconduct, medical watchdogs have ruled.

dr hannah Ryan took the temperature of scottish nurse Miss Cafferkey as they waited to go through a crowded and noisy virus screening area at heathrow Airport, the Medical Practitioners tribunal service heard.

the reading showed the nurse had a high temperature of 38.2C (100.7F), a warning sign for ebola.

But instead of raising the alarm, a lower temperature of 37.2C (98.9F) was recorded on a screening form and Miss Cafferkey was allowed to travel home to Cambuslang, Lanarkshire, where she fell seriously ill the next day.

dr Ryan admitted misleading other medics when she ‘acquiesced’ in the recording of the lower temperature on the screening form.

Five days later, dr Ryan was found to have been ‘dishonest’ in her account of her involvement in a phone call with dr

‘Deeply deplorable’

nick Gent who was investigating the matter for Public health england.

the medic had denied her fitness to practise as a doctor was impaired but yesterday the tribunal found against her, ruling her fitness to practise was impaired by her ‘serious misconduct’.

tribunal chairman dr Bernard herdan told dr Ryan her mistake was a ‘grave one’ and others could have been put at ‘unwarranted risk of harm’ by Miss Cafferkey leaving heathrow, while her attempt later to conceal her involvement was ‘deeply deplorable’.

the tribunal found the stressful conditions at heathrow meant her judgment may have been clouded due to ‘extenuating circumstances’, but not days later, and her conduct in regard to dr Gent was judged to be dishonest.

the tribunal adjourned until today to consider what sanction, if any, dr Ryan should suffer due to her misconduct.

she could face a warning, have conditions placed on her practice or be struck off.

Miss Cafferkey was cleared by the nMC as her judgment at the airport had been so impaired by the developing illness that she could not be found guilty of misconduct.