A Belfast GP who put his patients in danger for mo
A Belfast GP who put his patients in danger for more than five years by getting untrained staff to dish out drug prescriptions and sick notes was told he can carry on in practice today.
(weds)
Dr Hook Pin Yoong dumped his heavy workload on receptionists and the practice manager without checking their work.
The doctor’s surgery at 115 Falls Road, Belfast, has been hit by a series of scandals since 1997 following an acrimonious partnership bust-up.
In April last year a former colleague, Dr Ciaran Wasson, 47, was found guilty of misconduct for inappropriately prescribing diazepam to problem patients in the Whiterock area.
Dr Wasson, of (181) Upper Lisburn Road, Belfast, was allowed to carry on in practice subject to a condition he work only under supervision for a year.
Dr Yoong, who still works with fellow GP Damien Beirne, was today found guilty of serious professional misconduct for ‘falling significantly short of the standard of care to be expected of a GP’.
He was allowed to carry on in practice subject to a series of conditions that will remain in force for 18 months.
The doctor had admitted he pre-signed prescription forms in advance so his practice manager Patricia Davidson and two receptionists could see patients from as early as January 1992.
Counsel for the GMC, Sarah Vaughan-Jones, said: ‘It allowed them to fill in the drugs without a final check by the doctor.
‘He also permitted non-medical staff to sign certificates in the names of doctors.
‘The practice was that Mrs Davidson would sign them using Dr Beirne and Dr Yoong’s names.
‘The receptionists would also sign prescriptions.
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One patient described how they would queue up in two lines – one for the doctor and one for the practice manager.
Mrs A, who was given antibiotics without seeing a doctor, said: ‘I thought that Mrs Davidson was qualified as a dieticianal nurse.
‘I did not find out until I left the practice that she was not qualified.
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Another woman claimed she was given a prescription for diarrhoea pills by the receptionist.
But Dr Yoong claimed at an earlier inquiry that his untrained staff knew more about the patients than the doctors.
He said: ‘This was a habit fallen into from the sheer volume of work imposed on General Practitioners in 1990.
‘No patient was ever harmed and the experience of our staff would be considerable.
They have superior knowledge of patients, more superior to our own.
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In August 1997, the GP promised the medical director of the Eastern Health and Social Services Board he would stop pre-signing the prescriptions.
But a raid on his home and the surgery by the Royal Ulster Constabulary in November 997 revealed he was still carrying on as before, the hearing was told.
Yoong, of 26 Malone Meadows, Belfast, County Antrim, had admitted his behaviour was inappropriate, irresponsible and potentially compromising to the safety of patients.
He qualified at Queens University Belfast in 1975 and joined the Falls Lane and Whiterock surgery practice in 1978.
Dr Yoong had told the committee there had been no problems at the surgery since it was given the all clear in 1999.
He admitted both he and Dr Beirne allowed the practice manager and receptionists to write out presciptions for patients.
The GP said: ‘The reason why it was going on was because of the workload at the practice.
‘Patients can just walk in straight away, they do not have to ring up.
I tried to delegate to reception staff.
‘I am very sorry for my past mistakes.
These mistakes have been put right and have not occurred for the past six years.
‘The practice is a very highly demanding practice.
I hope I will be allowed to carry on practicing and providing an efficient service to my patients.
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The health board kept back pnds stlg 5,000 from Dr Yoong because of his behaviour.
Dr Yoong can now return to work subject to a series of conditions in place over the next 18 months.
He must design a system, approved by the Eastern Health and Social Services Board, to ensure he complies with his statutory requirements in respect of sickness certificates and repeat prescriptions.
For 12 months he has to keep a list of all patients who he issues sickness and repeat prescriptions to and submit the lists to the health board.
He must allow employees from the health board access to his practice to ensure his system is working and arrange for a report to be submitted to the GMC before it resumes consideration of his case in 18 months time.
ends
