Findings of dishonesty made against a GP are quashed by the High Court

News | Fri 6th Nov, 2015

In Dr Shabbeer Qureshi v General Medical Council [2015] EWHC, Mr Justice King held that it was appropriate to quash findings of dishonesty made against Dr. Qureshi where a Fitness to Practise Panel (“FTP”) had failed properly to assess and explain its reasoning.

It was alleged by the GMC that Dr. Qureshi had misleadingly and dishonestly told a Consultant Neurologist that he had retired as a GP when he was in fact still working.

Mr Justice King held that the alleged statement that he had retired as a GP depended wholly on the evidence of the Consultant.  Given that the Consultant’s evidence was that he had no real recollection of the consultation, when assessing the reliability of the Consultant’s evidence the FTP had failed completely to address the fact that Dr. Qureshi had informed all his other doctors that he had not retired completely as a GP.

The FTP had been blinded from the need to assess carefully the Consultant’s own reliability as a witness.

The findings of fact and the findings that Dr. Qureshi was dishonest and misleading had to be quashed in the circumstances.

Simon Butler represented Dr. Qureshi in the High Court of Justice (instructed by BSG LLP)