Material showing that a medical practitioner's conduct was part of a pattern (rather than isolated) is relevant to the orders to be made if unsatisfactory professional conduct is established, but is irrelevant to the characterisation of the specific conduct as unsatisfactory professional conduct, unless all complaints are before the Tribunal at the same time. The Court of Appeal must act very cautiously in substituting its own characterisation of a medical practitioner's conduct for that of the specialist Tribunal where there is room for different views. The question whether the Medical Tribunal has an implied power to stay its own proceedings for abuse of process was left open.
The full text is available to signed-in members, including the 20 later cases that cite this judgment.
3 of the 20 citing cases carry a classified treatment. How each court treated it is available to signed-in members.