Alderney GP's ordeal must come to an end

Despite being cleared by an independent UK expert in palliative care, the police and the General Medical Council over any wrongdoing in connection with the deaths of four islanders HSSD still has concerns.

So within days of declaring that 'Dr Lyons is no longer suspended and restrictions on his practice have been lifted' HSSD has confirmed that a man who the department recognised has undergone a very difficult time is to face another inquiry.

In the meantime, he is suspended from treating patients at the Mignot Memorial Hospital and will not go back to work at his medical practice.

The false hope of a speedy resolution to an issue that first surfaced more than four months ago has been replaced by a Dickensian dread that this is a never-ending process of trial and examination.

HSSD will, rightly, argue that safety has to be its top priority. The sensibilities of GPs, staff and politicians are secondary to its duty to patients to ensure they get the safest possible care.

The danger here, however, is that there are now two ongoing reviews which stem from the treatment of the same four patients: the Policy Council's independent review of HSSD's decision to refer Dr Lyons to the GMC and the police; and HSSD's external review of the four deaths and Dr Lyon's ongoing ban from working in the Mignot.

Coming on top of the GMC examination and the police's UK expert there is clearly the potential for the reviews to overlap and contradict. What happens, for example, if evidence unearthed by the HSSD review is relevant to the Policy Council review or vice versa – will it be made available or does that impinge on the independence of both reviews?

The Policy Council says nothing more will be said about either review until each is concluded so the islands have no way of knowing. And it is unlikely either will be open about the process once completed.

At the very least Dr Lyons is owed as speedy a resolution to both inquiries as possible. Open-ended and secretive inquiries such as the MHRA's into GcMaf appear to put more value on the process than on any conclusion.