Doctor in lung disease review under investigation

Epsom and St Helier Hospital has reviewed the treatment of more than 200 patients with lung disease

A doctor at the centre of a review of the treatment of more than 200 patients with lung disease is being investigated by the General Medical Council (GMC), the body has confirmed.

An external review by the Royal College of Physicians will look at whether treatment of some patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) at a hospital trust led to harm, and "if so, to determine the degree of harm".

Epsom and St Helier Hospitals Trust referred Veronica Varney to the GMC in October 2023. She left the trust in the same year.

Dr Varney has been contacted for comment, and the trust has apologised for some patients' care "falling short of what it should have been".

A GMC spokesperson confirmed that Dr Varney had interim conditions on her practice while the investigation was ongoing.

Those interim conditions include only doing clinical work at consultant level in a non-acute setting, being supervised in all of her posts by a clinical supervisor and getting the approval of the GMC before starting work in a non-NHS post or setting.

ILDs are a "broad spectrum of conditions", but the majority of patients concerned were diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a hospital report said.

The report said because the median survival after diagnosis with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis was only three to three and a half years, assessing if there was harm and if so to what degree "was not simple".

Concerns were raised around a lack of investigation, lack of referral to a specialist ILD multidisciplinary team meeting, no treatment and inappropriate treatment.

The hospital trust commissioned a Royal College of Physicians review, due to take around six months, based on the assumption that harm was "likely to have occurred" in some cases.

'Taken action'

Helen Maguire, MP for Epsom & Ewell said she hoped the review would "help bring clarity, accountability, and the necessary steps to prevent such failings in the future".

Dr Richard Jennings, group chief medical officer at the trust, apologised that the care of some patients with ILD fell short.

He added: "We have taken action to make sure this cannot happen again - including strengthening our safeguards and requesting an independent review by a panel of experts - and have also reviewed all those in our care during this period, to ensure patients are put on the correct treatment plan for their condition."