Doctor’s evidence outrageous, hearing told
The man was giving evidence on the first day of a Medical Council inquiry in to his GP’s handling of his case.
The GP, Dr Derek Graham, who practices in Newcastle, Co Dublin, is alleged to have failed to diagnose a tumour on the man’s jaw despite three visits to his clinic over an eight-month period.
The patient, Gareth Gorevan, has testified that Dr Graham told him he had an infection in his gland.
He was eventually sent to a specialist by another doctor who diagnosed him with a squamous cell cancer, which required 35 sessions of chemotherapy and radiation. He now has been given an 80% chance of not having the cancer return.
Dr Graham faces six allegations of professional misconduct or poor professional performance, including that he failed to carry out an adequate examination of Mr Gorevan, that he failed to give adequate consideration to the possibility of a serious underlying condition and that he failed to refer Mr Gorevan to an appropriate specialist.
Dr Graham denies the allegations against him and his counsel, Cathal Murphy BL, has told the inquiry he will give evidence that Mr Gorevan did not make any reference to the mass under his jaw but instead was seeking treatment for flu and for an acne form of rash on his body.
Mr Gorevan initially visited Dr Graham on Feb 12, 2010, as he was “smothering with flu” and physically run down. In his evidence to the inquiry yesterday, he said that two days earlier he was at a funeral and noticed for the first time a lump under his jaw.
When he mentioned this to Dr Graham, he claims he was told it was his lymphatic system’s attempts to fight his infection.
Mr Gorevan said that during two subsequent appointments with Dr Graham in Mar and Jul 2010 he was told he had an adult form of acne and an infected duct on his jaw which could take some time to clear up.
Mr Gorevan said his gut told him this did not sound right but he kept taking the creams prescribed for him until the area became so inflamed that he could not use them anymore.
He returned to Dr Graham’s practice on Sept 2 but discovered he was on holidays and instead visited another GP, Dr Fiona Ryan.
“I only had to look at Dr Ryan’s eyes when I walked in the door because they fixed on the area and they never left,” Mr Gorevan said of this appointment.
Dr Ryan referred him to an ear, nose and throat surgeon who diagnosed him with squamous cell cancer.
When it was put to him that Dr Graham will say he was not asked to examine his jaw, Mr Gorevan said this was “absolutely disgraceful”.
“It’s such a fabrication, it’s absolutely outrageous,” he told barrister Patrick Leonard, who was appearing on behalf of the chief executive of the Medical Council.
