‘Look at human side of doctor’
Dr Dawar Siddiqi, who worked as a locum consultant radiologist at Bantry General Hospital in West Cork between May and September 2013, also 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, yesterday 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 he 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 The number of cases originally stood at 22, but two were yesterday withdrawn.
Another allegation, that Dr Siddiqi’s rate of error in the 20 cases was unacceptably high, was also withdrawn.
Dr Saddiqi 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, the chief executive of the Cork University Hospital Group, brought concerns about Dr Siddiqi’s CT scan reports to the attention of the Medical Council.
The doctor told the inquiry earlier this week that since then, it has been very difficult for him to secure new employment because of the “disinformation” about him perpetuated by Bantry General Hospital.
Questioning Mr McNamara during his evidence by telephone yesterday, 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.”
During his own evidence yesterday, 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 work at Our Lady of Lourdes, Drogheda.
Because his family was based in Cork, he was keen to obtain a post closer to home and interviewed for the position of a locum consultant radiologist at Bantry. Dr Siddiqi was told during his interview that the post was a single-handed one, meaning he was the sole consultant radiologist on the job.
Dr Siddiqi has argued during the inquiry that the work conditions and environment in Bantry constituted serious mitigating factors. Yesterday, 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, leftover place.” He said he asked one of his colleagues “Where is the department?” and she replied “This is the department”.
He said that at one point in early September, shortly before he left Bantry hospital, the voice recording system broke, and he was unable to write reports for four or five days.
Referring to the inquiry in general, and the effect it 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 him personally, and questioned the point of the inquiry: “Does anyone know what I’m going through by not getting a job? Does anybody know how it affects the person? Who is going to think of the doctor? Look at the human side of the doctor.”
The inquiry continues next week.
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