Graham to chair NHS Tribunal
10 Oct 05
New position for MacRoberts director
Mike Graham, MacRoberts’ Director of Business Law, has been appointed chairman of the National Health Service Tribunal for Scotland, which handles cases referred by health boards of fraud and other misconduct by medical practitioners.
Mr Graham has served on the board of the West Glasgow Hospitals NHS Trust, where he chaired a number of disciplinary hearings, and is vice-chairman of the National Appeals Panel for Pharmaceutical Lists.
The tribunal is an independent body established by the National Health Service Act to ensure that NHS primary care services are not brought into disrepute by practitioners committing fraud, prejudicing its efficiency or similar behaviour. These include dentists, pharmacists and opticians as well as general practitioners.
The tribunal has the power to exclude anyone proved to have done wrong from continuing to work within that area. If the offence is serious enough it can prohibit the person from practising within any health board area in Scotland. An adverse finding by the tribunal does not preclude separate disciplinary proceedings or criminal prosecution in appropriate cases.
“I have had a long interest and involvement in the NHS and the work it does and I am really looking forward to this new role,” Mr Graham said.