Consultant gynaecologist challenges suspension
The High Court will rule later this month on a consultant gynaecologist's appeal against a one-year suspenion imposed by the Medical Council over treatment she provided to a number of her patients, including a woman who later died.
Last June Dr Andrea Hermann (aged 46) was suspended, with conditions on her future work, after being found guilty of professional misconduct by the Medical Council following a recommendation by a council's Fitness to Practise committee.
Those conditions are that after her period of suspension is completed, she must undergo a period of supervision and retraining for a further three years and must confine her medical practice to working in hospitals in which there are at least three other gynaecologists who are on the specialist register.
She must also work with a person acceptable to the Medical Council to formulate a personal professional development plan designed to address the deficiencies in her gynaecological surgical techniques during her year of suspension.
Dr Hermann however appealed against the sanctions and some of the conditions imposed on her but was not challenging the inquiry's findings. The Medical Council, in opposing the appeal, argued that it was entitled to impose the sanctions and conditions it did in light of the findings against her.
Today at the High Court following the conclusion of submissions in the appeal Mr Justice Peter Charleton reserved judgment. The Judge said that he would deliver judgment in the matter by the end of the month.
The FtPC had inquired into a number of reports over the care Dr Hermann provided to patients at the privately run Galway Clinic, Doughiska, near Galway city, between February 2005 and November 2008. The inquiry began in October 2009 and ran over 20 days, with both public and private sessions.
