Birmingham GP in abortion row cost taxpayers £600,000
“These figures are scandalous,” said Mr Lamb.
“A system which is leaving doctors on suspension for over four years at taxpayers’ expense is not fit for purpose.”
Data also shows Birmingham East and North PCT paid out £90,725 on salaries for ten staff who were suspended while Sandwell PCT spent £78,100, Worcestershire PCT had a bill of £119,000 for salaries of four suspended, including one for a GP prevented from working for nine months and another for 17 months.
The bill for Walsall PCT was £43,309 and Dudley PCT recorded £7,865, while Coventry PCT paid £32,146 for three suspended staff’s wages and Warwickshire PCT’s bill for a suspended GP is £51,000 since 2007, although the GP in question is still unable to work and under investigation.
A spokeswoman for South Birmingham PCT said the GP concerned was a single-handed practitioner.
“To ensure that the patients in the GP’s practice continue to receive a full service, the PCT has paid for locum GP cover up to a limit of £200,000 per year for the period of the suspension,” said the spokeswoman.
“Whilst the payments have been made to the suspended GP, they, as the owner of the practice, have been required to use this funding to reimburse the locum GPs.”
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