A radiologist at the centre of a medical inquiry on Friday pleaded with the fitness-to-practise inquiry to “look at the human side” of the doctor.
Dr Dawar Siddiqi, who worked as a locum consultant radiologist at Bantry General Hospital between May and September 2013, accused the manager who brought his case to the attention of the Medical Council of protecting patients at the expense of himself, the doctor.
The inquiry into Dr Siddiqi, who allegedly made serious errors in relation to a number of his CT scan reports while working at Bantry hospital, on Friday continued into its third day at the Medical Council’s headquarters in Dublin.
Dr Siddiqi faces an allegation of poor professional performance. Specifically, it is alleged Dr Siddiqi made serious errors in one or more of some 20 cases identified by an expert.
The number of cases originally stood at 22, but two were on Friday withdrawn. Another allegation, that Dr Siddiqi’s rate of error in the 20 cases was unacceptably high, was also withdrawn.
Consultant radiologist
Dr Siddiqi was hired to work as a locum consultant radiologist at Bantry for the period between May and November 2013. However, because of concerns from the hospital, he ceased working there in September 2013.
In September 2014, on foot of a review, Tony McNamara, chief executive of the Cork University Hospital Group, brought concerns about Dr Siddiqi’s CT scan reports to the attention of the Medical Council.
Dr Siddiqi told the inquiry earlier this week that since then it had been very difficult for him to secure new employment because of the “disinformation” about him perpetuated by Bantry General Hospital.
Dr Siddiqi said he was unable to secure employment through his agency again, but did secure employment for one and a half months directly with Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown.
Questioning Mr McNamara during his evidence by telephone on Friday, Dr Siddiqi said, “You’re protecting patient care at the expense of the doctor,” and claimed Mr McNamara was taking “blanket immunity by saying he takes care of the patients”.
Dr Siddiqi then made an analogy, arguing that an ambulance driver does not have the right to kill other people in the interest of saving one patient.
“Should I assume that the end justifies the means?” Dr Siddiqi asked.
Allegations denied
During his own evidence on Friday, Dr Siddiqi, who denies the allegations against him, said he moved to Ireland in March 2013. He signed up with the locum agency Global Medics, and began working at Our Lady of Lourdes, Drogheda.
Because his family was based in Cork, he told the agency he would be keen to obtain a post closer to home.
On foot of this, he interviewed for a position of locum consultant radiologist at Bantry General Hospital.
Dr Siddiqi was told during his interview that the post was a single-handed one, meaning he would be the only consultant radiologist on the job.
Dr Siddiqi has argued throughout the inquiry that the work conditions and environment in Bantry constituted serious mitigating factors in the case.
On Friday, he continued to paint a picture of disorganised, “primitive” work conditions. Describing his first day on the job at Bantry, Dr Siddiqi said, “When I entered the department it looked like an old, left-over place.”
He said he asked one of his new colleagues, “Where is the department?” and she replied, “This is the department.”
Small and unkempt
He said the reporting room was small and unkempt, and that, in the department, “everybody seemed to be doing things on their own”.
He described issues he faced while working at the hospital, and disagreements he had with hospital manager Jackie Daly, who gave evidence on Thursday, and other staff members regarding the backlog of work and organisational matters.
He said that at one point in early September, shortly before he left Bantry hospital, the voice recording system stopped working and he was unable to write reports for four or five days.
Referring to the inquiry in general, and the effect is has had on his life, Dr Siddiqi said: “I’ve been affected very badly.”
He pleaded with the committee to consider the effect the inquiry has had on himself personally, and questioned its point.
“Does anyone know what I’m going through by not getting a job?,” he asked during his evidence. “Does anybody know how it affects the person?
“Who is going to think of the doctor? Look at the human side of the doctor.”
Questioning the purpose of the inquiry, he said, “What is the purpose of doing this?”
Under cross-examination, Dr Siddiqi admitted that CT scan reporting was “the weakest part of my own expertise”.
However, the doctor argued he has done extensive work “to make up for this deficiency” and he thinks his skills in the area have improved in recent years.
The inquiry continues next week.