Complaints against doctors rise by over 40%, Medical Council reveals

Complaints about doctors have risen by more than 40% in the past four years, figures show.

The Medical Council’s 2012 annual report, launched yesterday, shows 423 new complaints were received last year, up from 295 in 2009. The figure represents 32 complaints per month, up from 30 per month in 2011.

Two doctors were struck off last year, including Hungarian anaesthetist Dr Laszlo Ruscsak, a former director of the Haven Cosmetic Surgery in Dublin.

The council found Dr Ruscsak guilty of professional misconduct and poor professional performance for failing to provide proper patient aftercare.

One of his patients, Lucia Dowd from Lucan, Dublin, was sent for a €7,000 gastric band operation in Hungary after first being examined at Haven’s headquarters, which doubled as Dr Ruscsak’s flat. She was ill after the surgery but Dr Ruscsak later withdrew her aftercare and the band subsequently had to be removed at Tallaght Hospital.

Cork-based American- Polish practitioner Dr Michael Obrowski was also struck off. He was found guilty of professional misconduct for not disclosing a previous conviction in the US after he had used false identification to buy a gun.

In addition, six doctors had conditions attached to their registration; four doctors were suspended, and 11 were sanctioned.

As of last December, 19 doctors with conditions attached to their registration were being monitored by the council. The council’s health committee was also supporting 35 doctors with illness/disability, including problems with drugs and alcohol.

Speaking at the launch, Caroline Spillane, CEO, said complainants and doctors had benefited from complaints procedure changes.

Last year, council case officers also became the first ever graduates of a certified investigator training programme with the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

“We believe that the increase in complaints may reflect the high standards which the public expects from doctors and is also in part due to increased awareness of the role of the Medical Council,” Ms Spillane said.

“By moving to a model whereby complaints are investigated by case officers specifically trained to deal with sensitive issues, both complainants and doctors benefit from having a designated contact throughout the complaints process.”