Pathologist in G20 death storm 'not fit to practise'

A General Medical Council (GMC) Fitness to Practise Panel yesterday found that Dr Freddy Patel had behaved "irresponsibly" during three other post-mortem examinations.

Simon Jackson QC, representing the GMC, told the hearing yesterday that Dr Patel's lack of understanding or ability to recognise his "serious failings" in the cases suggested he could make future errors of judgment.

He said Dr Patel's failure to spot marks which suggested a five-year-old girl had been the victim of violence prior to her death "created a potential risk of a loss of crucial evidence".

Mr Jackson said the pathologist had a duty to act as a "gatekeeper", adding: "There may be no further opportunity to find and report such findings if the body were to be cremated."

Mr Jackson said Dr Patel should have reported marks on the young girl's body, especially one over her left shoulder blade, which would have prompted further investigation as they raised the "index of suspicion" about her death in 2002.

"This would probably have prevented the distressing events which followed, without the need for the child being buried then having to be exhumed," he said.

The girl's body was dug up so a second post-mortem could be carried out.

On Wednesday the panel found Dr Patel was irresponsible and failed to meet professional standards when he carried out a post-mortem examination on a four-week-old baby in 2003.

He did not obtain full skeletal X-rays prior to the examination as recommended by the Royal College of Pathologists.

Mr Jackson said this was a "significant failure" and if the X-rays had been carried out first, "it would have completely altered the way this post-mortem examination would have been completed".

Dr Patel carried out the post-mortem at 7.20am, before the 9am start time for the radiologist, and Mr Jackson said the decision "brings into question his whole judgment and approach".

Mr Jackson said Dr Patel's decision to change his finding on a woman's cause of death in 2005 went "to the very heart of his fitness to practise".

Adrian Hopkins QC, for Dr Patel, told the panel, who will decide the pathologist's future, that their ruling must be based his current circumstances and not his past.