Harwood case pathologist struck off.

17 July 2013

The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service found earlier this week that he had displayed a "deficient professional performance" over his examination, which wrongly concluded that Mr Tomlinson had died as a result of heart problems.    A total of 68 failings were identified in Dr Patel's conduct of the case.  Subsequent reports by other experts concluded that he had died as a result of damage to his liver which caused internal bleeding and cardiac arrest.

Dr Patel's conclusion was questioned when video footage came to light of Mr Tomlinson being pushed and struck by a baton by Pc Simon Harwood, which subsequently lead to the officer standing trial on a charge of manslaughter.  Despite his acquittal at trial the officer still faces Metropolitan Police disciplinary proceedings for gross misconduct, which the IPCC have unusually decided should be heard in public.

Niall Dickson the chief executive of the General Medical Council said "This means he is no longer able to practise as a doctor in the UK.  We asked for him to be removed from the register as the best way of protecting the public because his conduct fell far below the standards we expect of a doctor."

In 2011 Dr Patel was given a ban from practising for 4 months after findings of dishonesty and other matters arising from a case where he concluded that a murder victim had died from natural causes.  He was also suspended for other failings in unrelated cases and was removed from the register of approved forensic pathologists.

Julia Tomlinson, the widow of the deceased, said after the finding of the MPTS earlier this week, that Dr Patel's conduct had presented the family with "an uphill battle for justice from the start".