A GP falsely accused of claiming payments for “ghost patients” has demanded an investigation into how her case was handled.
After her suspension last year, Dr Gibson plans action against NHS England [NIGEL HOWARD]Dr Lucia Gibson was arrested in 2007 but after an 11-week trial costing £4.5million in 2009 she was cleared of all 37 charges.
The judge said he agreed with the jury’s verdicts and warned the NHS Counter Fraud Service to think “long and hard” before bringing a similar case to court.
I am an innocent doctor. The final blow to me was for them to take away the practice I had worked hard to build up
However, Dr Gibson, 51, a fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians and former hospital obstetrician and gynaecologist, was still suspended by both the Surrey Primary Care Trust and the General Medical Council until last year.
A General Medical Council panel has apologised for the length of the suspension and acknowledged the way she had been treated was a “manifest injustice”.
Yesterday Dr Gibson, a mother of one from Weybridge, Surrey, said: “There needs to be an independent health service investigation of my case into how the allegations of fraud even came to court and the cost and length of my suspension.”
She said she spent £180,000 on legal fees to clear her name.
While she was suspended it is believed the Primary Care Trust racked up a bill of £3million pounds paying for two agency locum GPs to run her surgery at a cost of up to £250,000 a year per doctor.
The costs of a series of High Court cases over her right to practise and disciplinary hearings have added up to another £1million of taxpayers’ money.
Last year, just as she won back her right to practise, Dr Gibson says NHS England South took away her practice, which she had been at since 2003, and handed it to another doctor.
Dr Gibson, who is now back at work, said: “I am an innocent doctor. The final blow to me was for them to take away the practice I had worked hard to build up.
“I had loyal patients who stayed with the practice throughout my suspension even though they complained that the service from the locums wasn’t as good.”
She is now considering legal action because of the way she says her practice was “stolen”.
A spokesman for NHS England said: “Throughout this affair we have put patient safety and the need for absolute confidence in the ability of people working for the NHS at the centre of everything that we have done.”
A spokesman for NHS Protect, which has taken over the work of the NHS Counter Fraud Service, said: “This particular matter is related to very serious allegations of the falsification of large numbers of patient records for financial gain.”
SHARMILA CHOWDHURY 
all you need to do is look @ government run gmcuk phso cqc all working together like my case will bring MR CAMERON down but like everything els they have payed off my solicitor so this does not go to court the police have the full story classed as 2ND DEGREE MURDER but like the police WE DON;T WANT NOTHING TO DO WITH YOUR CASE disgusting & barbaric
hum A spokesman for NHS England said: “Throughout this affair we have put patient safety and the need for absolute confidence in the ability of people working for the NHS at the centre of everything that we have done.”
yet they lie again has they turn patients records over to the likes of atos or similar yanky company the nhs England lost its case but put the boot in anyway fair play from them nah but hope that the good doctor does sue them again for the abuse jeff3
I am sure she would sue if she had money!
More on this case will follow soon.