Casualty1986

[Charlie is giving evidence at the inquest into the death of patient which it is alleged was caused by Maggie's failure to order a crucial test]

Thea Grant:
Am I right in thinking that you have worked alongside Doctor Coldwell for the past five years? And would you agree with Simon Tanner's description of her as "sloppy, inefficient, distracted and lazy"?

Charlie Fairhead:
No, certainly not!

Thea Grant:
Would you describe her as a good doctor?

Charlie Fairhead:
She's more than that. Her commitment to her patients goes well beyond the remit of her job description. I've watched this doctor sit till the early hours of the morning with bereaved relatives after finishing a particularly punishing night shift. That the Doctor Coldwell I know is being forced to defend her reputation in this Coroner's Court, I find frankly ridiculous. And the Doctor Coldwell I know is being framed - and I mean *framed* - in this way, I think is a moral outrage. Clearly the hospital failed in its responsibility to administer the D Dimer test to Mr. Kemp - that's clear. Therefore the failure lies in the administrative system of the hospital.

Pam Kemp:
[very distressed] It's all just words! Someone's got to take responsibility for her death!

Coroner:
Order! Quiet please.

Charlie Fairhead:
Sorry. I'm *so* sorry. The fault, you see, is in the communication of information, for which Doctor Coldwell alone cannot be held responsible. Undoubtedly the hospital failed and let down Mrs. Kemp's son - that is without doubt. But does it now intend to betray one of its finest doctors too? I feel *ashamed* of working for a management that can scapegoat one of its finest doctors, in the interests of covering up what is essentially a management failure. I feel heartily *ashamed*!