News
August 2010
Welcome to our new and simplified web site! Please look around and see if we have something that could help you.
If you find any details which are inaccurate, please e-mail Ed Selby. Thank you.
About us
Our advisors and our aims
Aims
- Ensure complete confidentiality.
- Encourage all Doctors, Nurses and Practice Staff to be aware of the importance of their own mental and physical health and be active in identifying preventable illnesses.
- Prioritise the individuals needs.
- To be flexible to the requirements of the individual.
- Help avoid serious illness by facilitating timely access to appropriate healthcare, using existing channels where possible.
- Be completely independent of all other medical organisations but to develop clear lines of communication with them
We are particularly aware of the particular needs of GP's and other members of the Team who live and work within the communities that are also responsible for their personal health and so we also:
- Provide an alternative access to primary and secondary care for those Doctors who are unwilling or unable to use usual channels.*
- Promote the rights of doctors as patients and help colleagues to understand these needs
* We will also consider facilitating the same access for other members of the Team in exceptional circumstances where confidentiality is paramount.
Confidentiality
We acknowledge that disclosing an illness and the consequences of that disclosure can be very difficult.
No information about your identity is known to the Service when you access any of the Services. We will only know that someone has attended to facilitate the internal billing process.
If any of you contact Leslie or Ed for advice, you do not need to identify yourself unless you wish to do so.
However it is not in a doctor's personal or professional interest to continue to treat patents if unfit to do so safely. Patients cannot be put at risk in this situation and serious consequences can be avoided if the sick doctor stops treating patients until fully recovered.
We are guided by the Faculty of Occupational Medicine and the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy in developing our code of practice in this difficult situation.
Our Statement of Confidentiality
All sessions with anyone in the service are confidential, provided a Doctor remains Fit to Practise safely or, if not, removes themselves completely from patient contact until recovered. We will not otherwise disclose any information about that Doctor to any third party.
If, after appropriate consideration, we develop significant concerns that a Doctor may not be Fit to Practise, we will observe the following protocol:
- Discuss our concerns with the Doctor and encourage them to take appropriate and timely action.
- If the Doctor lacks insight or fails to remove him or herself from clinical work then we will contact the Secretary of the Cleveland LMC giving detail of our concerns. He undertakes to make further enquiries. If appropriate we may contact the GMC Fitness to Practise division.
Where the Secretary is unavailable the Chairman of the LMC will deputise.
Advisors
Leslie Dobson
MB BS London 1966 MRCGP 1974
I have just retired from 33 years as a GP in Guisborough; together with Barbara Scott I have been responsible for setting up the service and will be responsible for the ongoing administration of the service. I am very happy to act as a contact point for doctors wishing to access the service and hope to do some formal mentoring for sick and struggling colleagues am very committed to this service being totally anonymous and confidential.
Edward Selby
MB BS Newcastle 1979 MRCGP 1884 DCCH DRCOG
I have been a GP at Borough Road and Nunthorpe in Middlesbrough since 1984. I joined GP Health on the retirement of Barbara Scott. I hope to act as a contact point for doctors wishing to or unsure about accessing health care for themselves. I am able to do some formal mentoring for sick or struggling colleagues. Or if you need developmental or career help.
I am now also responsible for updating this Website so suggestions and criticisms are very welcome.
I am very committed to encouraging doctors to seek confidential heath advice early before they damage themselves, their families and possibly their patients.
Gareth Vincenti
MBBS, LLB, DOccMed, FRCPsych
I am currently working as a independent consultant psychiatrist. I have experience of medicine & psychiatry in a variety of settings - the military, prison service, NHS and independent hospital sector - and I have held both clinical & management positions at senior level. I also have experience and qualifications in legal aspects of medicine and occupational health. I have a particular interest in the occupational aspects of mental ill health, and have worked closely with occupational health providers in both the NHS and industry in recent years. My interest in helping support doctors who are struggling arose out of my earlier role as an NHS Director of Postgraduate Education at the Friarage Hospital in Northallerton.
Harold Heller
B.A. PhD MBACP Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute, Advanced Diploma in Systemic Practice, Diploma in Counsellor Supervision
I have considerable experience in working with individuals, couples and families, dealing with a wide range of difficulties. I practised with Relate for some twenty years and was Chair of its Northern group and a member of its national Board. For seven years I was supervisor for the Harrogate alcohol and drugs agency and I've worked in the NHS as a family therapist.
A flexible approach is taken to therapy, dependent on the presenting issues and the needs of the individual or family. This approach is negotiated and reviewed to ensure it works in the best interests of those seeking help and support.
Andrew Hide
Dental Practitioner, Cleveland LDC.
Information to follow. Andrew.Hide@BTinternet.com