A DOCTOR who accessed medical records of a mum and her two children has been suspended for 10 months.

Neha Muralidharan was working as a locum doctor in trauma and orthopaedics at Warrington Hospital when the incidents took place.

A Medical Practitioners Tribunal hearing held last week heard between April 2016 and March 2017, Muralidharan accessed confidential patient records 'with no legitimate reason to do so'.

These records belonged to patients with whom Muralidharan had no clinical involvement.

The initial concerns were raised with the GMC by the trust as a result of a complaint made by patient A who had reason to believe that doctor Muralidharan had accessed her confidential medical records and those of her two children, patients B and C.

The hearing also heard that in April 2017 Muralidharan made statements concerning the loss of her SMARTcard and the issuing to her of a temporary access card which were proved false.

Warrington Hospital's information governance and corporate records manager, Mark Ashton, gave evidence at the hearing, confirming the records showed none of the patients were receiving treatment at the time the doctor's SMARTcard had been used.

Mr Ashton stated the audit showed that access to patient A’s medical records was made twice by Muralidharan’s card to see patient images.

He also confirmed that her card had been used to access patient B and patient C’s records and images three times each between 2016 and 2017. He noted on one occasion the access to their was immediately consecutive.

Muralidharan's solicitors, who were not present at the hearing, provided evidence of her response to the allegations.

These said, she 'cannot specifically recall accessing these patient records' but that patients or their family members would fairly regularly call to check appointments or medication points.

"On these occasions staff would look up the patient’s hospital number on the system and using this information check the details on the main system and the information about the appointment would be relayed," they said.

"In the case of minor patients further checks are done to ensure that the doctor could check the safeguarding position before disclosing any information.

"She is absolutely clear that if the patient records were accessed, the only information which she would have provided would have been confirmation of any appointments."

In a meeting held in June, Muralidharan said: "I have not accessed patient A’s medical record with intent to reveal information."

'What about the children’s records?'

She replied: "No, not with intent to reveal. When patients are discharged we give them the ward telephone number.

"The only thing is if he (patient X) has rung the ward and asked for me claiming to be a patient and if a call came through to me I could have done it.

“I have not opened any records."

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The tribunal also noted the indirect but clear connection that existed between Muralidharan and patients A, B and C.

It notes the involvement that had developed between her and patient X who was the former partner of patient A and the father of patients B and C.

It accepts that there was 'nothing improper' in this relationship which was characterised as 'naïve and unwise' on the part of Muralidharan, but the fact of this involvement and of patient X’s dependence on Muralidharan connects her to these patients.

The tribunal noted the specific nature of patient A’s complaint that it was Muralidharan as opposed to any other person who had accessed the records.

The members of the tribunal suspended Muralidharan for 10 months.

Professor Simon Constable, executive medical director at Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: "Dr Muralidharan has not worked for the Trust since 2017 when she resigned before she was dismissed after failing to comply with trust policies.

“The Trust fulfilled its professional duty in maintaining and ensuring that doctors deliver high standards of care, so referred the case to the GMC  to protect the interests of patients."