A receptionist told today (TUES) how she was force
A receptionist told today (TUES) how she was forced to see a frail 92 year-old woman after the GP refused to do a home visit.
She said she was ‘unhappy’ but agreed to fill in for Dr Ruth Carson because she knew the patient from previous visits to the surgery.
The receptionist told the General Medical Council: ‘Dr Carson said she felt the district nurses could cope with the situation.
‘But I knew the patient actually wanted to be seen.
She is very frail and had become unwell over the last two or three weeks.
‘Dr Carson said she did not want to go and see her and asked me if I would go.
‘I knew the patient just wanted a lot of reassurance so I agreed.
‘
Dr Carson, 41, is accused of serious professional misconduct for leaving an untrained nurse to run her busy practice in Prices Lane, Woodhatch, Surrey, while she was away.
It is claimed Dr Carson left nurse Suzanne Kelly with bundles of signed blank prescriptions to hand out to patients who needed medicine.
Even though she had no nurse practitioner qualification, she was asked to consider lab test results, change treatment of patients and make referrals to consultants, the hearing was told.
Mrs Kelly was also appointed the back-up doctor while Dr Carson was on holiday in Majorca between July 2 and 28, 2001.
The nurse is now taking Dr Carson to an employment tribunal for unfair dismissal on September 7, 2001, following a bitter dispute over working arrangements.
Practice manager known only as Mrs M said the atmosphere at the surgery deteriorated when Dr Carson and Nurse Kelly fell out.
‘There were problems from the summer of 2001.
I think Dr Carson was coming to question Suzanne Kelly,’ she said.
‘There was a general uneasiness about the doctor not being at the surgery.
‘When nurse Kelly was there, Dr Carson was not there quite a lot of the time, maybe 50 per cent.
‘
A second receptionist, Mrs JT, said some hospital consultants were ‘not all that impressed’ by the nurse referring patients to them instead of Dr Carson.
Dr Carson, of Lake Farm Cottages, Pendell Road, Bletchingley, Surrey, denies serious professional misconduct.
The hearing continues.
ends
