Rogue doctors could be altering records to hide their mistakes, health bodies warn
The CQC and NHS England say doctors could be misrepresenting instances when patients have undergone procedures without their consent
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Rogue doctors could be altering medical records to hide their mistakes or procedures they have carried out on patients without their consents, according to a warning from health bodies.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) and NHS England have written to the General Medical Council to warn the body that doctors are not always giving patients copies of medical consent forms, leaving the system open to abuse.
The warning comes after allegations that rogues doctors have been retrospectively altering consent forms, according to the Health Service Journal (HSJ). The journal reported two cases where there are allegations forms have been altered at a later date, one allegation that forms were incorrectly retained by an NHS trust and one case of a patient reportedly being treated without consent.
The carrying out of invasive procedures without proper consent, such as surgery and some scans, can be considered criminal assault by the Crown Prosecution Service.
The intervention from the CQC and NHS England follows the case of John Clarke, whose mother has terminal cancer. According to the HSJ, Mr Clarke has raised concerns that his mother’s consent form was altered after surgery at Nottingham University Hospitals Trust. A spokesman for the Trust said the Parliamentary Health Service Ombudsman found no substance to Mr Clarke’s complaint.
A Department of Health spokesperson said: “It is essential that patients’ rights are respected and we expect robust action to be taken against any individual or organisation that does not follow fundamental guidance on consent.”
Niall Dickson, chief executive of the General Medical Council, said: "Our guidance could not be clearer - we would seek to take action against any doctor who tried to deceive by amending a consent form."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments