‘Baby P’ GP still not fit to resume work

The GMC suspended Dr Jerome Ikwueke for 12 months in July last year for a series of failures in his care of the toddler. He is seeking to be returned to the medical register, but a review panel found yesterday that his fitness to practise was still “impaired”.

As the family GP, Dr Ikwueke saw Baby P – now named as Peter Connelly – at his north London surgery at least 14 times in the months before his death.

The doctor noted that the little boy had changed from his usual happy self, seemed “withdrawn” and pulled away when he saw him for the final time on July 26, 2007.

Peter died eight days later in Tottenham, north London, aged just 17 months.

A GMC disciplinary panel ruled last year that Dr Ikwueke breached his professional duty towards the child in not carrying out a full examination, making an urgent referral for further checks or sharing information with a health visitor or social workers.

The committee decided to suspend Dr Ikwueke rather than strike him off the medical register after concluding he did not pose a risk to patients and had taken steps to remedy issues identified through the Baby P case.

The GMC review panel yesterday noted that the GP, who was temporarily suspended for 18 months ahead of his disciplinary hearing, had done as much as he could while suspended to prove he was ready to return to practice.

But it went on: “The panel has concluded that only in exceptional circumstances could a doctor who has been suspended from the medical register for two and half years be returned, unrestricted, to the register.

“In all the circumstances, the panel has determined that your fitness to practise is impaired.”