Cultural Enrichment in the National Health Service (II)

A few cases have recently come to my attention which adequately demonstrate just how diversity (and, of course, the subsequent drop in standards to Third World levels) is benefitting the NHS.

The first case is that of Iraqi dentist Hisham Al-Drouby, 61, who on Friday was found guilty of sexual harassment and now faces being thrown out of his profession (assuming the police can locate him, of course).

This wasn't just any old case of sexual harassment, however; Al-Drouby inappropriately touched a young dental nurse on several occasions, whilst asking her to convert to Islam so he could have sex with her and marry her. On at least one other occasion, he vowed to "take her as an additional wife".

Initially, the nurse put this behaviour down to "cultural differences", ignoring it until it became clear this was simply encouraging him.

Several other nurses were concerned not only with inappropriate touching and comments, but also poor standards of hygiene, as The Telegraph reports:

Al-Drouby, 61, ran his fingers up and down the dental nurse's body and while working with her at the Dental Access Centre, at the University of Southampton, it was claimed.

When the woman, referred to as Nurse A, reported him to bosses in early 2007, two other nurses claimed the Iraqi dentist had subjected them to inappropriate touching and comments.

Al-Drouby also allegedly referred to a fellow dentist as that "Indian woman next door" and breached health and safety standards by cutting his finger nails in the surgery sink.

He also wore contaminated dental cloaks, it is claimed.

On another occasion he failed to assist in the recovery of one of his patients, it is said.

Lydia Barnfather, for the GDC, said Al-Drouby joined the Dental Access Clinic, on a locum basis in May 2006.

He worked on the university's Highfield campus for a few months before going off sick.

But Ms Barnfather said nurses soon became concerned about his poor standards and strange mannerisms.

"Following his work as a locum one of the nurses raised concerns about his clinical standards - particularly his provision of local anaesthetic and infection control.

"In May 2006 he was spoke to about this but nonetheless offered a post on a substantive basis in August that year."

The GDC heard Nurse A initially put Al-Drouby's behaviour down to "cultural differences".

Al-Drouby would greet Nurse A with an air kiss but started to touch her
after becoming a full-time dentist at the university.

"He would put his hands on her knee or shoulder or waist. He would touch her back, arms and legs and try to embrace her," said Ms Barnfather.

"Initially Nurse A tried to deal with this by physically pulling away but he was undeterred.

"He soon accompanied this with highly inappropriate comments. He told her to change her faith so he could have sexual intercourse with her and take her as an
additional wife.

"He wasn't shy about expressing his religious views to others and repeatedly asked if she would have sexual intercourse with him," said Ms Barnfather.

"He would ask where she went for intercourse."

Nurse A repeatedly told the dentist to stop but his behaviour escalated, the panel heard.

Ms Barnfather said: "She can remember even in the presence of a patient him running his hands up her legs to her neck, back to the waist."

Following Nurse A's complaints, Al-Drouby made counter allegations about the woman's attitude.

He said he had to report her, as his "first consideration had to be the best interests of patients".

By then a second dental nurse, known as Nurse B, had also come forward.

Ms Barnfather said: "Nurse B can remember a number of occasions in December 2006 when she was uneasy about physical contact from the dentist.

"He came very close and rubbed her back across the bra strap.

"Again on January 8 the following year he grabbed her around the waist and attempted to hug and squeeze her."

Nurses B made a complaint to the clinical director of the surgery and was joined by a third dental nurse, who said the dentist was "verbally and physically over-familiar".

It then emerged that Al-Drouby had allegedly insulted one of his colleagues by referring to her as "that Indian woman next door".

Ms Barnfather said Al-Drouby was very familiar with the dentist and with her name, "hence the allegation that referring to her in that way was inappropriate and unprofessional".

She added that Al-Drouby was also guilty of poor communication with patients.

He also chewed gum when taking patient histories and rather than treat them would tell patients they needed to register with a general dental practitioner, it was claimed.

Ms Barnfather said his treatment amounted to "looking for the easiest and most cursory approach possible".

She said he prescribed antibiotics without examining patients, failed to warn woman about the dangers of such medication with the contraceptive pill, or warn patients about combining prescription drugs and alcohol.

On other occasions she said he failed to undergo life support training and failed to take the lead in supporting a patient who became distressed during the extraction of a tooth.

She said the man needed oxygen but Al-Drouby failed to take the clinical lead or assist in the recovery of the patient.

Ms Barnfather added that his hygiene standards contravened infection control. She said he left dental nurses to dismantle syringes, continued to wear a contaminated coat and would cut his fingernails in the surgery sink.

Despite efforts to contaact Al-Drouby both the GDC and police have been unable to locate his current whereabouts prior to today's hearing.

The dentist is accused of indecently touching Nurse A, inappropriately propositioning her about sexual relationships and challenging her to change her religious beliefs so he could have sex with her.

He faces a further 17 charges in relation to his treatment of 10 patients. These include his failure to take adequate histories; record his examinations; arrange
for appropriate radiographs; adequately record the use of local anaesthetic; and record a diagnosis.

Unfortunately, there is nothing here that is very surprising. What disturbs me more than the fact that this individual was allowed to enter and then to practice in Britain is the behaviour of the harassed nurse; so brainwashed by notions of diversity that she initially wrote off his behaviour.

His behaviour was very wrong and clearly made her uncomfortable; had the dentist responsible been British, she would have had no qualms about reporting him and getting him disciplined. Because he was foreign, she hesitated, which only encouraged him.

The worst part is that she felt no initial need to enforce her values on him, despite the fact he had chosen to come to Britain - despite acknowledging he was incredibly forthright with his own religious and cultural views and interpretations.

That is the message we have put into the minds of our people; "they" are entitled to be forthright, and we must bow down - wouldn't want to be accused of racism, after all. Best just let him keep touching you and asking you to convert and be done with it.


The second story of concern is that of 87 year old RAF veteran Hugh Jackson, who died after doctors failed to spot his broken neck and sent him home with painkillers:

A Royal Air Force war veteran was sent home from hospital after doctors failed to diagnose his neck was broken.

Hugh Jackson, 87, tripped over while picking up litter in his garden and fell head-first into an apple tree before knocking himself unconscious in May this year.

He died one month later. The great-grandfather, who had been awarded the British Empire Medal for rebuilding Vulcan planes in the RAF, spent two days in agony before deciding to call an ambulance.

Speaking after the inquest on Tuesday, Mr Jackson's eldest son, electrician Jim, 67, from Wimblington, Cambridgeshire, said his father 'deserved better.'

He claimed nurses had forgotten to replace his father's drip and left him strapped to a spine board for five days staring at the ceiling.

He was not taken to the toilet regularly and also fell out of his bed - something that could have proved lethal with his broken neck.

Jim said: 'My father had a terrible accident and from that point onwards the hospital just did not care for him properly.

"First they missed his broken neck and when they did finally diagnose it they strapped him to a board and left him on his back for five days so he couldn't eat or drink.

'He was meant to be fed through a drip but when that fell out of his hands the nurses failed to replace it - it was like a third world hospital.'

The inquest heard from Dr Rajeshwar Ranganathan, who was the first doctor to examine Mr Jackson.

He said he had not seen the break on Mr Jackson x-rays and had consulted two doctors from the orthopaedic department who had also failed to spot the break.

The consultant in charge of the Pilgrim Hospital's accident and emergency department, Mr Hussain Hassan said all possible steps were taken to treat Mr Jackson correctly.