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Press Release

Issued by the Leicester Epilepsy Concerned Parents & Carer's Group (LECPCG).

Angry parents in Dr Holton epilepsy scandal demand GMC action

Disillusioned with the GMC's procedures, disgusted parents demand the GMC deals with all their complaints. The Leicester Epilepsy Parents Group has arranged for parents to travel to London to hand in some of their letters personally.

Following the landmark legal judgement and Courtroom apologies, parents, representing hundreds of affected children, demand effective action. The clear legal decision made at the High Court on Wednesday 15th. June justifies all their concerns over Dr. Holton.

At the beginning of the process, the GMC decided to accept only a dozen or so complaints. Following the hearings in April, they have now changed their stance on complaints, and will look at every single one. Parents have decided to take decisive action because nobody has been held to account for the damage done to their affected children. After 4 years of work on his case, the GMC have yet to take any real action.

The GMC decided, before looking at the evidence in detail, Dr. Holton would not be struck off.

The complex legal process of claims for compensation will lead to payments running into millions of pounds. Legal costs for all parties will easily double the figure.

Dr. H is still practising with no restrictions, even relating to children. How does this protect patients?

If the GMC cannot deliver justice in such an obvious case as this, what hope can any patients have?

Date: Wednesday 22nd. June 2005.

Parents will be available to speak to the media at 9.15 a.m. at Fosse Park and in London at 12.30. We are planning to hand in the letters to the GMC at 1.00 p.m.

Place: Starting from Fosse Park shopping centre, Leicester, outside DFS opposite PC World, parents will travel by coach to GMC headquarters at Euston Street, London and then return to Fosse Park after handing in their letters.

Time:

The coach will leave Fosse Park at 9.30 am.
The coach is planned to arrive at London by 12.30 p.m.
The coach will return to Fosse Park between 4.30 -5.30 pm

This release is issued by the Leicester Epilepsy Concerned Parents & Carer's Group (LECPCG).

All media enquires should be directed to the LECPCG.

For more information please contact:

Contact numbers:

Chair, Adrian Stevenson: 01530 224037 (Even.& weekend) Mary Peberdy Landline: 0116 287 9846 (from Mon pm)
Mary Peberdy Mobile: 07764 452 661
Jane Hall Mobile: 07870 688 973
Trevor Parr Landline: 0116 284 8031
Trevor Parr Mobile: 07748 627 709

Web site: www.lecpcg.org.uk

e-mail: enquires@lecpcg.org.uk

Notes to Editors:

Background
1.On the 21st May 2001, Dr Holton, who had been practicing as a Consultant Paediatrician at Leicester Royal Infirmary in Leicester, was suspended pending an investigation into his management of his caseload of epileptic children following concerns expressed by various personnel in the Health Service, culminating in a decision by Dr Allan Cole, Medical Director at Leicester Royal Infirmary to contact the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health for help in reviewing Dr Holton's practice.

2.Details of the procedural side were subsequently the subject of an independent review carried out by the Trent Regional Director of Public Health.

3.Dr Holton had practiced in Leicester for a number of years effectively taking on the role of a Paediatric Neurologist although he had no particular training in that field. He developed an interest in the diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy in children and was effectively practicing on his own.

4.Because of the Trust's concerns about the reliability of Dr Holton's diagnoses and treatment of epilepsy Dr Cole, as Clinical Director, contacted the President of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health for advice as to how to review Dr Holton's practice. He was then referred to the British Paediatric Neurological Association (BPNA) which was headed by Dr Richard Newton, its President. He, together with Dr Richard Appleton, Consultant Paediatric Neurologist from Liverpool, conducted an initial review of twelve cases and spoke to a number of staff at Leicester, as a result of which they concluded that there was sufficient evidence to recommend a case by case review of all Dr Holton's epileptic patients' files.

5.An interim report published by BPNA in November 2001 identified areas of concern in Dr Holton's practice.

6.The BPNA set up and developed a three stage review process. The first stage involved the manual examination of just under 10,000 files. The second involved 1,948 children with a diagnosis of epilepsy or who were on anti-epileptic drugs. Their cases were subject to a detailed paper review.

7.As a result of the review, as a third stage some children (where it was felt that the child had been wrongly diagnosed or was being wrongly treated) were sent for a second opinion, either by replacement Paediatric Neurologists in Leicester or at other centres in the country.

8.The results of the review and the procedure itself were set out in a report prepared by Dr Cole on the 4th February 2003.

9.Following the publicity surrounding this review, around 500 sets of parents concerned contacted solicitors to claim compensation. Freeth Cartwright and Alexander Harris act for the vast majority of claimants. Browne Jacobson act for NHSLA and the hospital.

10.The legal claims arise because Dr Holton either diagnosed epilepsy without justification or treated epilepsy whether or not correctly diagnosed with excessive dosage and excessive numbers of anti-convulsants and associated medication such as steroids.

11. Initally, the GMC refused to accept more than a handful of complaints from parents, despite many expressing their wish to do so.

12. The GMC held a hearing in April to decide any sanctions against Dr Holton. The small number of parents who were invited by the GMC to the hearing were given very little notice and paid no expenses. This short time frame ensured only a few parents could attend. It was stated during the hearing only a few parents had complained

13. On the day the hearing was due to finish, the GMC announced the hearing had been postponed until September as one of Doctor Holton's witnesses had taken ill. The parents request for those unable to attend in April to be given chance to submit their evidence has been refused

14. Parents who have since contacted the GMC to inquire when they will be accepting complaints have now been told they can make a complaint at any time.

15. The Leicester Epilepsy Group have arranged for parents to go to the GMC on Wednesday 22nd June to present their complaints, and some on behalf of those unable to make the journey. We understand more parents have now sent complaints direct to the GMC and more are to follow.

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