GMC refused to investigate Harrods medical tests

The General Medical Council (GMC) refused to investigate alleged medical malpractice at Harrods in 2017 because too much time had passed.

 According to reports by the BBC, a woman who underwent an intimate medical examination in 2008 while applying for a job at Harrods complained to the General Medical Council (GMC) nine years later that former owner Mohamed Al Fayed had been told about her results.

The GMC said it would “carefully assess” any new complaints, and described the Fayed revelations as “horrifying”.

Anthony Omo, general counsel and director of Fitness to Practise, said: “We will carefully assess any new concerns raised with us, and any existing information we hold, and will investigate and take action if we identify a risk to patients or public confidence.”

In an email to her seen by the BBC, the GMC said:

“An investigation can only be opened if the concerns raised are so serious that the doctor’s fitness to practise medicine is called into question to such an extent that action may be required to stop or restrict the way in which they can work to protect future patient safety.

“We cannot normally investigate concerns about incidents that happened more than five years ago, unless it is in the greater public interest to do so.

“In this case, the concerns you have raised about the doctors would not fulfil the criteria for us to waive that rule.

“We recognise that you are distressed that Mr Al Fayed knew about your medical history.

“However, we have no powers to investigate or resolve whether he was given that information by the doctors or if he obtained it by other means, especially after this passage of time.”

In response to her concerns about Dr Snell’s examination forming part of a job application, the GMC in the email concluded:

“We have no powers to investigate, resolve or comment on whether a gynaecological examination should have formed part of your recruitment process.

“That is not our role. This would be an issue you would need to raise directly with Harrods.”

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