Dr Michael Watt tribunal was 'unlawful corner-cutting exercise'

Dr Michael Watt worked at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast as a neurologist

A tribunal which allowed a doctor's voluntary removal from the medical register was an "unlawful corner-cutting exercise", a judge has said.

Neurologist Michael Watt was at the centre of Northern Ireland's biggest recall of patients.

The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) allowed him to voluntarily remove himself in 2021.

It meant he would not face a public hearing about any fitness to practice issues.

More 2,500 patients who were in his care had their cases reviewed - with around one in five having their diagnosis changed.

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Having already quashed the decision to grant removal, Mr Justice McAlinden delivered a scathing assessment of how the application was handled on Monday.

In Belfast's High Court, he described the process where Dr Watt's request was heard without the necessary jurisdiction as a "fiasco".

The court also heard how Dr Watt appeared to have a "get out of jail free card" where patients were denied public scrutiny of their medical care.

Mr Justice McAlinden also said someone with a GCSE in law should have understood the statutory framework.

Former patients Danielle O'Neill and Michael McHugh had both challenged the lawfulness of the decision taken by the MPTS.

According to the judge, both the MPTS and the General Medical Council "lost sight of their primary objective to protect and maintain public health and safety".