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Decision No: 02/91D
Practitioner: Dr Thomas Nigel Ellison
Charge Characteristics: Inadequate follow-up
Failure to refer and/or seek advice from a specialist
Inadequate communication
Inappropriate prescribing
Failure to ensure a specimen was examined
Additional Orders: Patient's reasons for failing to attend the hearing suppressed:  0291dfindings
Decision: 0291dfindings

 

Charge:  

The Director of Proceedings charged Dr Ellison with conduct unbecoming a medical practitioner and that conduct reflected adversely on his fitness to practise medicine.

The particulars of the charge were as follows:

  1. He failed to follow up a patient's abnormal blood test results reported by Medlab Hamilton on or about 21 March 1998 by failing to order either appropriate blood tests and/or the H-gene test; and/or
  2. Having obtained the patient's abnormal blood test results reported by Medlab Hamilton on or about 21 March 1998, he failed to consult with and/or refer his patient to an appropriate specialist regarding those abnormal blood test results; and/or
  3. He failed to follow up the patient's abnormal blood tests reported by Medlab Hamilton on or about 11 June 1998 by failing to order either appropriate blood tests and/or the H-gene test; and/or
  4. Having obtained the patient's abnormal blood test results reported by Medlab on or about 11 June 1998, he failed to consult with and/or refer his patient to an appropriate specialist regarding those abnormal blood test results; and/or
  5. He failed to discuss, or to adequately discuss with the patient his abnormal blood tests results reported by Medlab on or about 21 March 1998 and 11 June 1998; and/or
  6. Between 23 March 1998 and 20 June 1998, when in possession of the patient's abnormal blood test results, he prescribed Ferrograd for non-specific anaemia, without:
  1. considering or investigating fully the reasons for abnormalities with the patient's blood tests; and/or
  2. ordering further appropriate blood tests; and/or
  3. consulting with or referring the patient to an appropriate specialist.

 

Background: 

At the commencement of the hearing, counsel on behalf of the Director advised that the patient had made himself unavailable to attend the hearing and the Director was therefore unable to proceed. The Director sought leave to withdraw the charge.

Counsel on behalf of the Doctor consented to the withdrawal of the charge and submitted the charge be dismissed.

 

Finding:

The Tribunal determined the charge against Dr Ellison should be dismissed.