August 11, 2022

Doctor Banned For Misdiagnosis Of Cancer On Children

An NHS paediatrician who suggested to families that their children might have cancer in order to get parents to pay for private treatment has been banned from medical practice.

A misconduct hearing which started in 2019, ruled that Dr Mina Chowdhury told families their children had potentially cancerous conditions without a proper investigation. As a result, families were urged to get further "unnecessary" private diagnoses.

Consequent upon the ruling, Dr Chowdhury will now be removed from the medical register which means he will not be able to practice as a paediatrician.

The allegations relate to Dr Chowdhury’s work in Glasgow at a private clinic which he operated asides working for NHS Forth Valley.

The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service misconduct hearing ruled that Dr Chowdhury failed to provide good clinical care to three patients which also included diagnosing cancerous conditions without proper investigation. It was also ruled that Dr Chowdhury tried to persuade parents "to pay for unnecessary tests in relation to unwarranted cancerous diagnoses".

The hearing determined that in one of the three cases considered, Dr Chowdhury had told a patient's mother that a high level of B cells could be due to blood cancer or lymphoma. He also went further "without sufficient clinical justification" to state that he knew a place in London which could provide treatment when an NHS treatment was available in Scotland.

The ruling added that Dr Chowdhury's actions, which were all undertaken during his private work, were financially motivated.

The tribunal also said this was a case "where there has been persistent dishonesty in a number of areas which Dr Chowdhury has not fully acknowledged nor fully admitted".

It added that "only a sanction of erasure [from the medical register] was sufficient to protect, promote and maintain the health, safety and wellbeing of the public".

Dr Chowdhury can appeal his sanction within 28 days.

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