Introduction to the Case
The head of NHS England supported a doctor whose failures contributed to several deaths to resume her career as a heart surgeon. Sir Jim Mackey told the family of a patient who died after an operation carried out by Karen Booth that the consultant surgeon should be "supported" in order to continue working in the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle as soon as she has been retrained.
Background of the Doctor
An NHS examination resulted in problems in the cases of Ms. Booth, contained clinical mistakes, the implementation of operations that she was not skillful or experienced enough to carry out, and it was not asked for help if she was. Seven people died after several mistakes from Ms. Booth, as an internal examination stated, with a patient surviving because he experienced avoidable damage.
Reaction of the Family
The family of Mr. Philip announced that they were amazed by Sir Jim’s statements. "It is bizarre for me that the Freeman would think that it is appropriate [to bring her back]" Ian’s son Liam Philip said. The least that you can do is to say that she doesn’t come back. The family said their misfortune with Sir Jim was exacerbated by the fact that after an initial examination, the GMC had lifted MS Booth’s practice for Ms. Booth’s practice.
Investigation and Findings
The BBC understands that the Freeman Hospital has turned to at least one further trust to ask if they were willing to employ Ms. Booth. Many of Ms. Booth’s surgical colleagues had repeatedly clarified the leading leadership of the Trust that they did not want to return to the heart unit because they believed a risk for the patients. An investigation by the Freeman Hospital resulted in a number of failures by Ms. Booth had contributed to her poor results.
Response from the Hospital and GMC
The hospital reacted to the BBC and recognized the problems with the culture of unity and said it tried to protect patients at any time. The GMC said: "The safety of the patients is the core of everything we do and we will always take measures where there is a risk to the public." When asked to explain why a doctor whose failure had contributed to the death of several patients, surgery in the NHS was allowed to practice and what this says about the importance of public security, the GMC rejected a statement.
Problematic Work Culture
A problematic work culture was determined in the heart unit in Freeman, while internal hospital reports criticized poor governance procedures to take on a dislike of the executive employee, and an inadequate multidisciplinary team (MDT) process. The hospital said that "the next stage of Ms. Booth’s gradual return" according to the corresponding standards, review recommendations and external advice "is considered.
Conclusion
The NHS Trust of Newcastle on Tyne Hospitals said that it is "in the best interest of the patient" and "tries to" maintain and protect patient safety at any time, whereby the concerns shared by clinical colleagues "are taken into account". Ms. Booth said that due to the GMC evaluation, it would be "not appropriate to comment on public matters at this point". The case raises questions about the importance of public security and the measures taken by the NHS and GMC to protect patients.
