A Wirral doctor who lied to police about altering a death certificate has been cleared to return to full practice. For the past two years, Dr Raisah Sawati has been subject to specific working conditions after it was found she gave untrue statements to police when working at Arrowe Park Hospital in April 2020.
Incident at Arrowe Park Hospital
A Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) report detailed how during the covid-19 pandemic, Dr Sawati returned to the hospital having been transferred to Clatterbridge. It was during this time that she completed two cremation forms for two patients who had died while not operating under direct supervision as intended.
It was also alleged that she altered part of a death certificate and that she completed the cremation forms knowing she may be entitled to claim a fee for doing so. Discrepancies in the documentation were identified by her supervising consultant, who reissued the paperwork.
Police interview and tribunal
This resulted in the doctor being suspended pending investigation. The matter was referred to the GMC and the police. During a police interview in June 2020, Dr Sawati gave an account of how she came to complete the paperwork which was subsequently found to be untrue. She went on to admit the allegations before an MPTS hearing in 2024.
Dr Sawati qualified from the University of Manchester in 2012. Following completion of her Foundation training, she was practising as an Internal Medicine Trainee at Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. Since March this year, Dr Sawati has been employed as a Trainee Medicolegal Adviser with Medic Law on a fixed-term six-month contract.
Progress and clearance
Her first tribunal two years ago accepted the breach of her original conditions to be supervised at all times had been inadvertent rather than a deliberate attempt to evade supervision, noting the rapidly changing clinical environment during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. It also accepted that the untrue statements made during the police interview arose from stress and panic rather than dishonesty.
A fresh hearing held earlier this month found she had responded positively to a follow-up assessment last year and had made “substantial progress in further developing both her insight and remediation.” A testimony was given by Dr Sawati’s mentor, known only as Professor A, who said: “From the outset, Dr Sawati was entirely candid regarding both her professional history and the challenges she has faced. In my discussions with her, I found her insight to be genuine, mature and well developed. She demonstrated a clear understanding of the concerns that have arisen during her career and, importantly, a strong commitment to learning from those experiences. What impressed me most was not simply her insight but the persistence with which she has sought opportunities to demonstrate rehabilitation and rebuild her professional standing.”
The Tribunal further considered that there was no evidence that Dr Sawati posed a risk to the public. A report issued last week which removed the remaining conditions of practice said: “In any future clinical role, she would initially practise at a level requiring appropriate supervision and oversight, providing an additional safeguard while she continued to rebuild her clinical experience.” As a result, she is free to return to full work as a doctor with immediate effect.
