Dublin gynaecologist guilty of professional misconduct has conditions attached to work

A Dublin gynaecologist and obstetrician has had conditions imposed on his practice by the Medical Council after being found guilty of professional misconduct.

Dr Patrick Gerard Rafferty, consultant gynaecologist and obstetrician at Mount Carmel Hospital and Landscape Clinic, both private facilities in Churchtown, was found guilty by a Medical Council fitness-to-practise committee last April following his treatment of two women.

In one case he failed to refer a woman on whom he had carried out a hysterectomy to a urologist and she subsequently lost the use of a kidney. In a second case he failed to refer a patient with a life-threatening ectopic pregnancy for treatment. She subsequently required emergency surgery.

Following the findings, the council recommended he be sanctioned and this was recently confirmed at the High Court.

Deficiencies
Conditions imposed on his practice included that he must work with a nominated person to produce a professional development plan to address his deficiencies. The deficiencies listed included in his communication with patients and their GPs, in his record-keeping and in his handover of patients to other medical practitioners. He must also meet the nominated individual regularly over at least two years to discuss his progress and he must send his plan to the council.

The court also confirmed the imposition of conditions on a doctor found guilty of professional misconduct after kissing a patient.

Dr Hossam Desoky, who had been working at South Tipperary General Hospital, has since returned to his native Egypt. However, he remains registered in Ireland and must notify the council if he returns.