Cavan Consultant guilty of poor professional performance

A consultant at Cavan General Hospital has been found not guilty of professional misconduct, or poor professional performance, on six out of seven allegations.

Previously, the inquiry determined that seven of the allegations against obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Salah Aziz had been proven 'as to fact'.

The fitness to practise committee yesterday had to decide if any of those seven allegations amounted to professional misconduct, or poor professional performance.

It found one of the seven counts amounted to poor professional performance.

The decision follows a 25-day long Medical Council inquiry into allegations relating to the cases of three women and childbirth at Cavan General Hospital between 2012-2014.

The fitness to practise inquiry said Dr Aziz was guilty of poor professional performance on one count. This involved the failure to decide on the immediate delivery of Patient C's baby by caesarean section around 26 April 2014 at the hospital.

It concluded that in this specific case that it was a serious failure in meeting the standards of competence that could reasonably be expected of a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist.

In relation to other allegations, the committee found that these cases did not amount to poor professional performance, due in another case, to problems in a theatre being available for a C-section and conflicting evidence.

It also found other allegations did not amount to a serious failure.

See next week's newspaper for full report.