|
|
|
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
|
|
Dr Clifford Ayling's Story
Like many we did not look into Dr Ayling's side of the story as we were not aware there was one. Thanks to his daughter Joan Ayling our eyes were suddenly opened to a possible injustice. This is the inquiry into how the NHS handled the issue. This is Dr Ayling's response. Joan Ayling's website presents a logical account of her father's history. Her website is one of the best campaigning websites we have seen in the seven years NHS Exposed has been online. What is interesting is how Dr Ayling's troubles started after he had whistleblown on the system. Joan Ayling writes "An active member of a number of committees, Clifford Ayling spoke out against Health Authority decisions that were not in the best interests of patients. In early 1998, he featured in a local newspaper under the heading “Doctor launches blistering attack on health authority plan"."
On 11th November 1998 Clifford Ayling was arrested as four women had made allegations of indecent assault. The timing is of course relevant here. It is rather coincidental that the arrests happened after he had whistleblown in the media. The other important issue is the phenomena of "group attacks" by patient groups. This is a phenomena seen in the case of Professor David Southall who is currently caught in a rotation of coordinated complaints made by members of msbp.com. Possibly motivated by a compensation led culture where a finding of guilt in any complaint will automatically lead to compensation, these are co-ordinated complaints set up by patient groups to attack the professional concerned. The theory is "if one complaint doesn't get them, the next one will". With this in mind, we examine what lies behind the headlines in the Dr Clifford Ayling case. These are some extracts from his patients. This is what an ex GMC committee member told us: "Interested you should raise that now.This broke when I was at the GMC- bit the GMC didn't touch it until he was sent to jail and then they erased him as they had to. Another interesting thing is that Clifford Ayling turned up to his GMC hearing handcuffed to a prison officer.I heard about it at the time and it was something like I was surprised and shoulders were shrugged and a resigned sort of reply like he says he's innocent but he is serving time. Looking back I think the view of the PCC chair who I spoke to about it- don't know if he erased Ayling- but his view seemed to mirror that of yours- it is not as it seems. So clearly there was something suspect about the whole thing.The other thing is East Kent Health Authority the one which covers the Medway Towns. Because if it is I have heard on good authority that the CHC used to prime patients over how to complain and even suggest they should. All very unpleasant in Kent a den of iniquity all round.. I wonder how anyone ever got time to see or treat any patient under the circumstances! And then there was the Ledward trial- he was similarly in Kent - apparently a lot of rumours in Kent and the Medway at the time. It's a very uncomfortable place to work for a doctor- but they seem to have swept a lot of them out now and repopulated with Irish doctors." We therefore present an excellent account written by Joan Ayling who has campaigned tirelessly for her father. On our reading of the material evidence presented, we felt the convictions against Dr Ayling were unsafe. Read his submissions here. RAKING THE ASHES - A Review Of The Ayling Case Do you really know what happened to Clifford Ayling? Are you convinced he indecently assaulted patients? Do you know why women who claim now to have made complaints do not want their 'evidence' looked at closely? The following review is an attempt to give you a condensed look at the major issues surrounding the Ayling case. Comment : On 21st February 2007 the Government published a set of White Papers that set out landmark proposals for the reform of the regulation of health professionals in the United Kingdom. The Department of Health website explains that “the need for reform to sustain confidence in regulation of healthcare professionals has been underlined by the findings of a number of high profile inquiries into doctors who have harmed their patients”. The Ayling Inquiry is cited alongside those into Shipman, Kerr-Haslam, and Neale. The Department of Health website goes on to say that the country “needs a system in which patients, the public and health (sic) can have confidence that the regulators of healthcare professionals do so in a way that is fair to both patients and health professionals". In an initial response to the White Paper, the British Medical Association warns that with a state-owned NHS, a monopoly employer and an appointed regulatory body also controlled by government, doctors could be compromised in their ability to use their clinical independence to get the best treatment for their individual patients. The BMA’s concern is that under the White Paper proposals, a doctor’s ability to continue working in the best interest of their patients, without fear of falling foul of political imperatives, will be jeopardised. The BMA also believes that with such serious consequences as removing a doctor from the GMC Register, which entails not only the doctor losing their job but their entire way of earning a living, it cannot be right to switch to a lesser burden of proof in fitness to practice hearings and rely on a mere balance of probabilities. Clifford Ayling Clifford Ayling started his career as a doctor in the early 1960’s and was struck off the Medical Register in June 2001 after having been accused of indecently assaulting patients. Those who argue there is no need for concern over plans to lower the standard of proof in cases of complaints against doctors might like to take a closer look at exactly what happened in the Clifford Ayling case. The case was sparked off by allegations of indecent assault made in 1998 to the local Health Authority who failed to investigate, the case went from criminal trial to claims for compensation to modified form of private inquiry to published government report. All this was covered by sensationalist media reporting fuelled by misleading information provided by a high profile solicitor with connections in high places who was acting for the purported victims. No smoke without fire, you say? Well, let us look at the ashes now that the fire has gone out. Click
here to continue reading.
|
|
|
|
|
[Home] [NHS Exposed] [Patients] [Health Workers] [NHS in Crisis] [Legal Issues] [Media] [Helpdesk] [Public Views] All copyright remains with original authors unless otherwise stated. |
Society
is quick to judge a doctor. The BBC stated 
