Back to back successes in the General Medical Council

Anthony Haycroft has had back to back successes in the General Medical Council. In both cases the Panel accepted Anthony Haycroft's submissions that the doctor's fitness to practice was not impaired. In the first case a General Practitioner did not attend for a home visit as requested by telephone and the patient later died. There was a direct conflict of evidence as regards what was said on the telephone. The Panel accepted the doctor's account and did not find many charges proven, having found numerous "inconsistencies" in the GMC witness accounts following Mr Haycroft's cross examination. A failure to make a contemporaneous account of the telephone call was not found to amount to impairment. Anthony Haycroft was instructed by Adam Smith of Eastwoods Solicitors.

In the next case, Mr Haycroft was instructed by Sara Mason of the MDU. A GP had forged 7 prescriptions for drugs for her own use and accepted she did so dishonestly. Mr Haycroft had secured a conditional discharge for the doctor in the criminal courts. The Panel accepted his submissions that on the specific facts of the case there was no impairment and the case could be disposed of by way of a warning as to future conduct.