High Court judge slams 'defective' Medical Council procedures

The president of the High Court has expressed serious concern that “defective” Medical Council procedures lead to a mental health service employing a doctor without knowing he was precluded since May 2016 from practising medicine due to concerns over possible misuse of controlled drugs.

Under existing procedures, a prospective patient or employer of a doctor who, like Dr Syed Harris Zubair, had undertaken to the council's health committee not to practice medicine, has no way of finding out from the council website or otherwise that such an undertaking applies, Mr Justice Peter Kelly said.