Doctor who made false murder claims is struck off

CONTROVERSIAL paediatrician Dr David Southall was yesterday struck off the medical register for serious professional misconduct and was told he has “deep-seated attitudinal problems”.

Britain’s General Medical Council’s fitness-to-practice panel delivered their ruling after earlier finding Dr Southall, 59, guilty of falsely accusing a grieving mother of drugging and murdering her 10-year-old son.

Their ruling comes three years after he was found guilty of serious professional misconduct for accusing the husband of solicitor Sally Clark of murdering their children. Ms Clark was wrongly jailed for their deaths in 1999 and released on appeal four years later. Her family said she never got over her ordeal; she was found dead in March this year.

Chairman Dr Jacqueline Mitton told Dr Southall yesterday: “The panel has concluded that you have deep-seated attitudinal problems and that your misconduct is so serious that it is fundamentally incompatible with your continuing to be a registered medical practitioner.”

She added: “The panel is particularly concerned by your lack of insight into the multiplicity of your failings over a long period.”

The panel also noted that Dr Southall has never apologised to the Clark family or the mother, who was referred to as Mrs M, for his false allegations of murder.

Dr Southall did not react as the ruling was given.

Dr Mitton said it was necessary to erase Dr Southall from the register in order to maintain people’s confidence in the profession and uphold the proper standards of conduct.