§ Andrew MackinlayTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the circumstances(a) in which Mr. Kolathuv Unni was allowed to practise psychiatry in the NHS, having previously been struck off by the General Medical Council and (b) the General Medical Council took into account when they reinstated him to the register. [68746]
§ Mr. Hutton[holding answer 11 July 2002]There is no bar on working in the national health service if an individual has been restored to the medical register following erasure. NHS employers must make informed decisions based on the information provided during the recruitment process.
Guidance on pre- and post-appointment checks for NHS staff has recently been strengthened. This includes a requirement for applicants for certain posts to make a declaration regarding any previous disqualifications from the practice of a profession by a regulatory body in the United Kingdom or in another country.
Decisions on whether or not to restore an individual to the register are a matter for the General Medical Council. However, the GMC has agreed to respond to the second part of this question upon receipt of a written request from the hon. Member.
§ Andrew MackinlayTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what investigations were made by UK authorities in New Zealand into the conduct of Mr. Kolathuv Unni(a) prior to his initial recruitment to the NHS and (b) at the time of his successful application to be re-admitted to the medical register. [68745]
§ Mr. Hutton[holding answer 11 July 2002]This is a matter for the General Medical Council, the independent statutory body responsible for the registration of doctors to practise medicine in the United Kingdom. They have agreed to provide this information direct on receipt of a written request from my hon. Friend.