Guernsey radiographer banned from practicing for six months

A radiographer who failed to spot that a baby with Down's Syndrome had two holes in its heart has been banned from practicing for six months.

Catherine Birnie also wrongly told a patient her pregnancy had failed whilst working at Guernsey's Princess Elizabeth Hospital.

A tribunal today also heard how Birnie had used somebody else's work to pass a training course in 2013.

Birnie moved to Guernsey in 2003 to work at the hospital and became a senior radiographer in 2009.

She was suspended in October 2017 for three months after the Health and Care Professionals Council (HCPC) found Birnie's ability to practice was impaired.

Today the HCPC decided to give her an additional six month ban.

• Cheating in exams to qualify to take scans checking for birth defects

Birnie submitted a scan she hadn't taken herself in order to pass a training course. She claimed a senior doctor told her it was "common practice" to get accreditation.

• Performing a 12 week scan on a woman and incorrectly reporting that the pregnancy had failed

"Most of the allegations were to do with obstetrics...the programme for obstetrics at the hospital was badly thought and I was treated dreadfully", Birnie told the hearing.

She was however cleared by the panel of telling a mum that her unborn baby was still alive when it had died.

Birnie told the hearing she was a changed person with more awareness.

The HCPC concluded that Birnie was not fit to work, and said there was not enough evidence to suggest mistakes wouldn't be repeated.