Two separate accounts of different families experiences with paediatric services in Guernsey have been shared with Express.
Both families claim their child was denied access to health care by Dr Sandie Bohin. Other allegations include discharging a child too early from necessary health care, and blocking access to off-island specialists.
One of the families have identified themselves – they are Anthony McMahon and his parents. The other has chosen to remain anonymous but they are known to Express.
They’ve chosen to speak out ahead of the States debate – expected to start later this afternoon – on whether to suspend Deputy Gavin St Pier for 25-days.
He has been found guilty of breaching the States Members’ Code of Conduct after confirming how many complaints he was aware of that had been made against Dr Bohin with a national newspaper journalist.
When the reporter contacted Dr Bohin, she made a Code of Conduct complaint against Deputy St Pier.
Both the Medical Specialist Group and the British Medical Association are standing by Dr Bohin and have urged deputies to vote in favour of suspending Deputy St Pier.
Deputy St Pier has cautioned his colleagues against suspending him warning it would set a dangerous precedence.
Yesterday, an open letter by a group of 17 families was shared by Express – one of those families has now shared more details on their own situation, along with the McMahon family.
Anthony McMahon was born with a condition called Proximal Focal Femoral Deficiency (PFFD), now more commonly referred to as Congenital Femoral Deficiency (CFD) – at the time he was the only child in the Guernsey, the Channel Islands, or the UK with this condition.
Now an adult, Anthony has requested his medical records and discovered letters written by Dr Bohin that his parents were unaware of, which include allegations that his father was not carrying out his post-surgical care correctly.
The McMahon family have questioned how Dr Bohin could have known this as she “never visited her patient or his parents”.
The McMahon family also claim that Dr Bohin tried to sideline Anthony’s clinician.
They have also criticised another paediatrician who no longer works in Guernsey – accusing her of incorrectly filling in documentation about Anthony including around his birth in 2005.
The McMahon family say concerns were raised with both the MSG and the GMC at various times during Anthony’s childhood.
The second family to have shared their experiences with Express have asked to remain anonymous but their identity is known to us.
They’ve shared evidence of their previous complaints against Dr Bohin being upheld – despite the MSG repeatedly claiming that no complaints have ever been upheld.
Directly criticising the Chair of the MSG, the family say they have challenged Dr Steve Evans on this matter and he maintains no complaints have been upheld.
“We went through the exhausting, agonising process of complaining. Our investigation was incredibly flawed, because it never sought the patient voice, despite us fighting to be heard. Nevertheless, three counts of our investigation were fully – or partially upheld.
“And guess what? The MSG claims that didn’t happen. That what you see before your eyes is a mirage, a dream, an apparition. That’s the level of arrogance and defiance we are all dealing with.”
Regarding Dr Bohin, the family say their child’s symptoms were dismissed before she was later found to need heart surgery.
They say Dr Bohin dismissed them as patients after that surgery had been carried out in Southampton, despite the child remaining unwell.
When the child was seen by Great Ormond Street Hospital she was found to need major cardiothoracic surgery.
Her family say they complained to both the MSG and HSC and were pleased that some of their concerns were upheld but they remain angry that the MSG denies this happened.
Both families are supporting Deputy St Pier and have called on his colleagues to vote against his proposed suspension.
The McMahon family have said: “From our point of view he has been the only person willing to ask questions on our behalf. We believe he did the job of a Deputy – stand up and dare represent a family with a child then with exceptional need.
“Have you ever lifted a big stone up in the garden seeing a couple of creepy crawlies and found the more you lifted, the more you came across.
“Keep lifting the stone ensuring a better outcome for families and children alike.”