Medical Discipline Record

United Kingdom ยท Physician, paediatrics (trainee registrar at the time of the events)

Hadiza Bawa-Garba: medical regulator decision

Decision, 13 June 2017Immediate suspension from the medical register for 12 months, imposed by an MPTS tribunal on 13 June 2017. On a GMC appeal the Divisional Court substituted erasure on 25 January 2018. The Court of Appeal restored the 12 month suspension on 13 August 2018.1,2

General Medical Council (GMC), decision by a Medical Practitioners Tribunal of the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS)

What the panel found

According to the Court of Appeal judgment, an MPTS tribunal found her fitness to practise impaired on 22 February 2017 by reason of her conviction, and imposed a 12 month suspension subject to review on 13 June 2017. The Divisional Court allowed the GMC's appeal and directed erasure. The Court of Appeal allowed her appeal, set aside the Divisional Court decision and restored the tribunal's decision.1

Related criminal case

Convicted of gross negligence manslaughter of a six year old patient at Nottingham Crown Court on 4 November 2015, and sentenced on 14 December 2015 to two years' imprisonment suspended for two years, as recorded in the Court of Appeal judgment.1

Response

After the April 2019 review hearing ITV News reported her saying "This case will live with me for the rest of my life." the patient's mother told ITV News "we've not got a second chance."3

Appeal and later events

Court of Appeal, 13 August 2018: appeal allowed, Divisional Court decision set aside, tribunal's 12 month suspension restored and the case remitted to the MPTS for review. On 9 April 2019 an MPTS review tribunal allowed her to return to practice from July 2019 under conditions for 24 months, including close clinical supervision. In July 2021 a further MPTS review lifted the conditions.1,2,3,4,6,5

Status now

Free to practise without conditions following an MPTS review reported on 2 July 2021 by Pulse and on 5 July 2021 by Doctors' Association UK. Current register entry not rechecked for this record.5,6

This site covers only doctors whose cases were widely reported and decided in published rulings. Each record states the decision exactly as the body made it, and any appeal or later change.

Sources

  1. Court of Appeal of England and Wales (The National Archives, Find Case Law), Bawa-Garba v General Medical Council [2018] EWCA Civ 1879 (13 August 2018)
  2. General Medical Council, Dr Bawa-Garba's appeal (2019)
  3. ITV News, Doctor convicted of negligence over six year old boy's death can practise again (9 April 2019)
  4. GPonline, Dr Hadiza Bawa-Garba cleared to return to work with conditions (April 2019)
  5. Pulse, Dr Bawa-Garba free to practise without conditions after MPTS ruling (2 July 2021)
  6. Doctors' Association UK, Dr Hadiza Bawa-Garba can return to unrestricted practice (5 July 2021)