A leading Angus GP who fiddled hundreds of appointments has avoided sanction after a medical tribunal panel highlighted his “propensity for overwork” in a misconduct ruling.
Dr Andrew Thomson was warned that the “exceptional course” adopted in his case by the panel at the Manchester medical practitioners’ tribunal did not reduce the seriousness of his conduct when he was a senior figure at a Forfar practice.
But they said powerful mitigating factors and witness evidence that he was “outstanding, dedicated and conscientious GP” had led them to take the unusual step in the face of a finding that his fitness to practise had been impaired by his actions.
The tribunal resulted from a General Medical Council investigation which arose from concerns raised in 2014 when Dr Thomson was the executive partner at Forfar’s Academy Street medical centre.
Dr Thomson deleted the appointment slots in what the tribunal heard was a “coping mechanism” to deal with the burden of additional work he had taken on after returning to the practice following a period of absence.
His admissions during the investigation included creating one appointment in the name of “M Mouse”, but the tribunal accepted his explanation that it was an IT-training inspired fictitious moniker and would have been obvious that it was not a real patient.
The GMC had called for Dr Thomson to be suspended, saying it believed public confidence would be undermined if any lesser sanction was imposed.
However, the tribunal panel said it was satisfied that a finding of impairment alone was sufficient to maintain public confidence in the profession.
Tribunal panel chair Robin Ince said testimonials provided to the hearing were “consistently positive”.
“The tribunal acknowledges that you still have a propensity to overwork.
“However, it is reassured that you have gained sufficient insight to utilise the support mechanisms which are available to you and that you have the insight to discuss any problems in dealing with your workload with those around you.
“Such safeguards will protect against the possibility that you might otherwise resort to further misleading or dishonest behaviour.”
“The tribunal wishes to emphasise that the exceptional course adopted in your case in no way qualifies or reduces the serious view it holds of your misconduct.
“The determination that your fitness to practise is impaired is in itself significant and sends a message to the profession, to the public and to any future employer of the gravity with which your misconduct is viewed.
“However, the tribunal has concluded that its finding of impairment is sufficient to meet the statutory overarching objective which includes the need to maintain public confidence in the profession and declare and uphold proper standards of conduct and behaviour.”
Dr Thomson and Brechin Health Centre, where he now works, made no comment on the tribunal findings.
An NHS Tayside spokesperson said, “We do not comment on matters relating to individual members of staff.”