• Proud to be a Doctor - the David Kelly affair
• Proud to be a Doctor - but beware the Pretenders
• Happy Xmas from the Remedy Team

Proud to be a Doctor - the David Kelly affair

They are challenging the omission of an inquest on the David Kelly death in 2003, and are using arguments based around forensic pathology to support this claim.

They have instructed Leigh Day & Co (by coincidence the same solicitors that we use).

The implications of what they are saying are immense. Did David Kelly really commit suicide, or is there another explanation?

Even a distant memory of Poiseuille’s equation jogs the suspicion that the radius of the ulnar artery might just not be enough to support death from massive exsanguination- which was curiously accepted as reason for not having a coroner’s inquest by the rather unimpartial Hutton enquiry.

Leigh Day’s statement on behalf of the Consultants is a model of professional restraint:

“… The Hutton Inquiry did not investigate many of the other factors surrounding his death, did not take evidence from many of the potential witnesses who might have thrown light on the true cause of death and has denied the public the opportunity to know what might actually have happened to Dr Kelly. It is not fair to the memory of a long-serving, and senior, civil servant for him to go down in history as having committed suicide if, in fact his death was caused by other means. We are not suggesting that we do know how he died but we are saying it is time an Inquest, held under the Coroner's Rules, with the power to call witnesses, and hear evidence, ought to take place”

The consultants are Steven Frost, Michael Powers, Martin Birnstingl, Christopher Burns-Cox, David Halpin, and Andrew Rouse. You can google their names for some background on the case.

Sometimes we feel truly proud to be doctors.

Proud to be a Doctor - but beware the Pretenders

Once upon a time it was easy – there were doctors in white coats and nurses with starched aprons. Everyone knew who was who, and what was what.

Over the past generation this distinction became blurred, following developments such as Project 2000, and a new generation of nurse practitioners has evolved. In many cases these nurses provide excellent service in their respective fields, and their expertise and skills are outstanding.

At the same time we have seen a blurring of the terminology. Traditional names have morphed into unrecognizable newspeak. Trusts are busy concocting new names for Trust Grade doctors so that they can locally define their Terms and Conditions, while the titles given to the new breed of nurses becomes ever more creative.

Remedy are concerned that patients might want to know what sort of training the man in a short-sleeved shirt and a stethoscope over his neck really has.

The 1983 Medical Act could come to the rescue here. It states that:-

“Any person who wilfully and falsely pretends to be or takes or uses the name or title of physician, doctor of medicine, licentiate in medicine and surgery, bachelor of medicine, surgeon, general practitioner or apothecary, or any name, title, addition or description implying that he is registered under any provision of this Act, or that he is recognised by law as a physician or surgeon or licentiate in medicine and surgery or a practitioner in medicine or an apothecary, shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale”

Remedy would be keen to hear of any non-medically trained health care workers who are willfully using one of these titles. Please contact us at our office address.

Happy Christmas from the Remedy Team

We have two big legal cases in the pipeline - one being our GMC case over the Architects of MTAS and the other involving Employment Agency legislation. We are launching of a new web service for doctors - RemedyActive.

Please keep in touch and keep supporting us (in spirit and in finance!). Our office email and phoneline are always open for your enquiries.