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| GP struck off over meningitis death A locum GP who failed to properly examine a five-year-old girl 10 hours before she died from meningitis has been ordered to be struck off. Dr Ramachandran Subramanian, from Southport, Lancashire, was found guilty of serious professional misconduct after dismissing fears that Margarita Darker had the brain bug as "parental anxieties". The 59-year-old GP also refused the mother's request for an ambulance and instead told her to take her daughter to hospital in her own car, the General Medical Council (GMC) heard. Mrs Eileen Walker, chairwoman of the Professional Conduct Committee, said the GP had demonstrated a "gross departure" from the standard of care expected of doctors. She said his name should be erased from the Medical Register. Fanoula Darker, 36, who now lives in Ireland, took her daughter to the Healthcall Services surgery in Pendleton, Salford, on December 29, 1999, where Dr Subramanian was working as a locum. She had been concerned because her daughter had a high temperature and was feeling drowsy, and became more anxious when she spotted a rash on the youngster's collarbone. The committee ruled father-of-two Dr Subramanian failed to examine the rash or look for signs of a rash elsewhere and instead diagnosed a viral fever. Margarita was admitted to the high dependency unit at the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, in Pendlebury, within an hour of arriving after being almost immediately diagnosed with meningitis. She arrived around 1525 GMT and died at 1250 GMT the next day. After the ruling Mrs Darker, who has two sons aged eight and nine, said she was "very relieved" the ordeal was over. "Nothing will ever bring Margarita back, but this should stop others having to go through what we've been through." Dr Subramanian has 28 days to appeal against the ruling. In a statement issued through the Medical Protection Society, which represents doctors, after the hearing, Dr Subramanian said: "I would like to again express my sympathy and sincere condolences to the Darker family. "I also wish to apologise for any failure, on my part, to provide a more full explanation to the family in response to their inquiries after the loss of their child. "As all doctors are aware, the diagnosis of meningococcal septicaemia can be a difficult area of clinical judgment. "The GMC's decision to erase my name from the Medical Register is a shock to me and I now need time to reflect upon this." 1st February 2002 |
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