When patients are victims: access to online records and medical misconduct

A review into the records of 44 patients who died while under the care of former Belfast Trust neurologist Michael Watt was published on 29 November 2022.1 In 2018, concerns about the quality of Watt’s care led to one of the biggest patient recalls in NHS history, and the largest ever in Northern Ireland. The review identified numerous concerns, including lack of proper clinical investigation, inaccurate diagnoses, poor prescribing practices, poor recording keeping, lack of openness and effective communication, inappropriate treatment, and the risks of clinicians working in isolation.Conducted by the Royal College of Physicians with the involvement of patients’ families, the review was commissioned by the independent Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA). Although the report examined only a small sample of patients, potentially thousands may have been affected.A central theme of the report was that Watt’s clinical records and documentation tended to be brief and lacking explanation of…
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