Ruling body loses patience with doctor

The General Medical Council has lost patience with a doctor who adjusted the settings on intensive care patients’ alarms because he was irritated by their buzzing noises.

The GMC has now struck off Christopher Burrows after previously suspending him from his job as a registrar in anaesthetics at a Devon hospital. As well as altering the alarms and switching them off on occasions, Burrows was also reportedly rude to work colleagues and poor at working as part of a team.

The problems with Burrows’ work have been known to the GMC since 2005 but reviews and finally suspensions have had little effect and the ruling body said it was left with no option but to strike him off their register.

Panel Chairman Harvey Marcovitch said: “The serious and wide-ranging deficiencies identified in Dr Burrow's fitness to practice by the panel in 2007 and 2008 remain unaddressed. The panel has received no information which suggests that he has shown any insight into his shortcoming or taken any steps to address his anger management.”

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