On the 2nd of May 2018, the body of a man was found in the River Tees. He was identified as Dr. Sridharan Suresh, an Intensive Care Consultant at the local NHS Trust. A month before Dr. Suresh died, a 15-year-old patient reported being inappropriately touched minutes after waking up from a medical procedure.
“I feel so ashamed myself, that I’m part of the profession that has done this to a colleague.” Professor Dame Clare Gerada, GP & Psychiatrist, Director, NHS Practitioner Health.
“In my view, as a clinician I think this was an entirely preventable suicide.” Professor J S Bamrah CBE, Consultant Psychiatrist, British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin.
“There were two victims there. And it was how it was dealt with, not the initial complaint. It was how it was dealt with that went wrong.” Dr Jenny Vaughan, Consultant Neurologist, Chair, Doctors Association UK. ‘Learn Not Blame’
Dr. Suresh bore no resemblance to the description of the alleged perpetrator. But he was the anaesthetist on the day. He became the only suspect.
“It is really important that the victims do feel empowered to come forward.” Mr Damiam Allain, Retired Detective Superintendent, ‘Head of Casework’ at Inside Justice.
“As a female I will never allow these kinds of complaints, and I cannot digest these kinds of complaints. And I would like that to be seriously investigated.” Dr Suresh’s widow.
“I can assure you that it is not possible for such an incidence to happen in the presence of so many people. We are not providing treatment behind closed doors.” Dr Saqib Aslam, Consultant Anaesthetist, Dental Clinic Owner.
“It’s a more complex policing environment we live in today. I describe it sometimes as crystal ball policing. Sometimes something goes wrong and the public demands – why didn’t you predict or prevent this from happening?” Mr Damiam Allain, Retired Detective Superintendent, ‘Head of Casework’ at Inside Justice.
“The police referrals are often quite flawed, and they should look at the context, looked at the fact that this was a 15-year-old under an anesthetic with known hallucinatory sexual side effects.” Professor Narinder Kapur, Neuropsychologist UCL.
This film is not about whether Dr. Suresh was guilty or innocent. It’s about the process that swept him along on a nightmare journey from which he felt he could never return.
“He was accused of sexual misconduct. He was under police investigation. He had been suspended. He had been excluded by his employer. Social services wanted him to leave his home because they did not want him to be alone with his teenage son.” Mr Raj Chaudhary, Medicolegal Advisor Medic-Law.
“And then eventually without his knowledge, he was referred to GMC, and then the GMC came down on him like ton of bricks.” Dr Ramesh Mehta, Retired Consultant Paediatrician, President, British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin.
The General Medical Council (GMC) is the body that regulates the medical profession. It has the power to strike doctors off the medical register.
Dr. Suresh was under siege from all directions. It’s what’s known as Multiple Jeopardy.
“Multiple Jeopardy is the police, the Trust, social services and the GMC, all of which work in parallel, all of which have different rules, different places, different agendas, different timescales.” Professor Dame Clare Gerada.
“People were not communicating. Decisions weren’t made. And in the middle of all this, you’ve got a doctor whose life has been completely torn apart.” Dr Rinesh Parmar, NHS Anaesthetist, Chairman, Doctors’ Association.
Two hours after receiving an email from the GMC informing him that he’d have to face a tribunal, he took his own life.
“After Dr. Suresh’s death, they did not conclude the investigation and they did not clear him. A cloud has been left hanging over him, even after his death.” Mr Raj Chaudhary.
“Nothing can bring him back. That is the most important thing to me and my family that is not going to happen.” Dr Suresh’s widow.
This film sheds light on what went wrong here, not just for the sake of Dr. Suresh and his family, but to prevent tragedies like this from happening again.
“It shows a completely failed system”. Dr Jenny Vaughan.
If this was done in an appropriate manner, you could save a life.
Multiple Jeopardy will be released in Summer 2021.
Click below to join the waiting list.