THE CORK doctor who failed to properly read and pass on test results and then tried to cover up his mistake when his patient was diagnosed with advanced skin cancer was yesterday facing a three-month suspension after a fitness-to-practise hearing recommended how he should be censured by the Medical Council.
Garda Supt Martin Dorney (50), Waterfall, Ballincollig, Co Cork, a father of three children, has been given just months to live arising out of the failure by Ballincollig, Co Cork-based GP Dr Pat Lee to act on a recommendation from Cork University Hospital (CUH) that the garda be sent for a wider local incision procedure on a mole on his leg in 2003.
Dr Lee (45) admitted he had skim-read a report on a mole he removed from Mr Dorney, and missed the hospital’s recommendations. He later told Supt Dorney the mole was benign.
At a medical hearing earlier this month, Dr Lee conceded that he originally missed the recommendation for further surgery, and only realised his mistake when he reread the 2003 hospital report following Supt Dorney’s cancer diagnosis last year. He admitted later to altering a biopsy report to make it look as though the recommendation for further surgery in 2003 had not been made.
A report of the fitness-to-practise committee into the case yesterday recommended Dr Lee’s suspension from the medical register for three months, because his “persistent attempts to avoid taking responsibility for his failure to carefully read and follow up Mr (Martin) Dorney’s histology report in 2003 constitutes disgraceful and dishonourable conduct”.
The committee spoke of the need for an audit of all referrals and follow-up actions relating to Dr Lee’s patients in the last five years. The report found Dr Lee’s behaviour fell seriously short of the standards expected of a medical practitioner. It is recommended that he undergo supervision for a period of two years.
Supt Dorney is battling stage-four skin cancer. The medical hearing this month heard he would have had a 95 per cent chance of survival if sent for further investigative tests in 2003.
In a statement yesterday, Supt Dorney said he was not “vindictive or bitter”, and he accepted Dr Lee’s apology. He called for changes to be made to the system to prevent further errors. “Unless the system changes, there is going to be more errors, and unfortunately more fatalities. The system that was adopted by Dr Lee, and the pathologists, is one that is capable of error. As happened in my case, Dr Lee sent the specimen to the pathology laboratory. The pathology laboratory reported the results back to Dr Lee. If Dr Lee did not get the report, either because of postal difficulties, or otherwise, or if he misread the situation, as happened here, then the patient is likely to suffer.”
Supt Dorney said a far safer system would involve the pathologist also monitoring the situation. He added there should be some safety net ensuring key results are received and acted upon. “It would be an awful shame if the lessons that should be learned, as a consequence of Dr Lee’s failure, are not learned. I would urge both the College of General Practitioners and the consultants who are involved in the issuing of results to general practitioners, to review their procedures to see how these procedures can be tightened up. It is too late for me, but I just hope it is not too late for somebody else.”
Supt Dorney, who has been contacted by hundreds of members of the public since the fitness-to-practise hearing, thanked them for their “sympathy, support and prayers”.