CONTROVERSIAL UK ADHD DOCTOR CLOSES PRIVATE CLINIC with help from CCHR

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CONTROVERSIAL DOCTOR CLOSES PRIVATE CLINIC

BY DAVID LEWINS

11:00 - 12 February 2004

A Doctor from Bath who specialises in treating hyperactive children has closed

his private clinic rather than register it with a Government watchdog. Private

consultant Dr Cosgrove said the demands of the National Care Standards

Commission were " not suitable " for his patients.

The psychiatrist, who lives at Combe Down, chose to close the Bristol Priority

Clinic rather than go through the registration process for the commission, which

regulates private and voluntary health care.

Under the Care Standards Act 2000, all private practices have to be registered

with the NCSC.

" The Bristol Priority Clinic was not registered with the NCSC, " said a

spokeswoman for the commission. " Having failed to register the clinic, Dr

Cosgrove voluntarily closed it down. Private clinics operating in England are

legally required to register with NCSC. "

At the clinic, Dr Cosgrove specialised in treating children and young people for

conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. He pioneered the

use of the amphetamine-based drug Ritalin.

He was due to face five charges of serious professional misconduct at a General

Medical Council (GMC) hearing in Manchester last month.

The charges are that Dr Cosgrove " acted irresponsibly in his monitoring of two

patients receiving treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder " and

that he made " unprofessional and unsustainable statements regarding other

medical practitioners " .

He is also charged with failing to provide appropriate advice regarding a

patient's treatment to his general practitioner, failing to conduct an

appropriate examination of the patient, and failing to release medical records

to the Oxfordshire Mental Healthcare NHS Trust.

The hearing was adjourned and is now expected to take place in June.

A statement issued by Dr Cosgrove said: " The closure of the Bristol Priority

Clinic is nothing to do with the GMC proceedings and is purely to do with

National Care Standards Commission. If Dr Cosgrove registered with them, it

would not be meeting the needs of his patients. "

He declined to comment further.

A message on the Bristol clinic's answerphone and posted on its website says it

has " closed down and no longer exists " .

" This sudden closure is due to the National Care Standards Commission requiring

immediate registration of the Clinic, " the message continues. " This would

necessitate a total restructuring which would not be suitable for the clinic's

patients. "

Dr Cosgrove left the then Bath Mental Health Care Trust in 1994. He has said he

was not allowed to prescribe Ritalin as widely as he wanted.

His treatment of ADHD has come under fire from the Citizens' Commission on Human

Rights.

The group started lodging complaints with the GMC about Dr Cosgrove in 2000, and

claims there is a lack of scientific evidence to substantiate the existence of

ADHD.

But Bilbow, founder and director of the Attention Deficit Disorder

Information and Support Service, said Ritalin had been researched more

extensively than almost any other drug, and proved to work. " Where it is

properly prescribed for the right reasons it is very effective. "

d.lewins@...

[Guest guest]

CONTROVERSIAL DOCTOR CLOSES PRIVATE CLINIC

BY DAVID LEWINS

11:00 - 12 February 2004

A Doctor from Bath who specialises in treating hyperactive children has closed

his private clinic rather than register it with a Government watchdog. Private

consultant Dr Cosgrove said the demands of the National Care Standards

Commission were " not suitable " for his patients.

The psychiatrist, who lives at Combe Down, chose to close the Bristol Priority

Clinic rather than go through the registration process for the commission, which

regulates private and voluntary health care.

Under the Care Standards Act 2000, all private practices have to be registered

with the NCSC.

" The Bristol Priority Clinic was not registered with the NCSC, " said a

spokeswoman for the commission. " Having failed to register the clinic, Dr

Cosgrove voluntarily closed it down. Private clinics operating in England are

legally required to register with NCSC. "

At the clinic, Dr Cosgrove specialised in treating children and young people for

conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. He pioneered the

use of the amphetamine-based drug Ritalin.

He was due to face five charges of serious professional misconduct at a General

Medical Council (GMC) hearing in Manchester last month.

The charges are that Dr Cosgrove " acted irresponsibly in his monitoring of two

patients receiving treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder " and

that he made " unprofessional and unsustainable statements regarding other

medical practitioners " .

He is also charged with failing to provide appropriate advice regarding a

patient's treatment to his general practitioner, failing to conduct an

appropriate examination of the patient, and failing to release medical records

to the Oxfordshire Mental Healthcare NHS Trust.

The hearing was adjourned and is now expected to take place in June.

A statement issued by Dr Cosgrove said: " The closure of the Bristol Priority

Clinic is nothing to do with the GMC proceedings and is purely to do with

National Care Standards Commission. If Dr Cosgrove registered with them, it

would not be meeting the needs of his patients. "

He declined to comment further.

A message on the Bristol clinic's answerphone and posted on its website says it

has " closed down and no longer exists " .

" This sudden closure is due to the National Care Standards Commission requiring

immediate registration of the Clinic, " the message continues. " This would

necessitate a total restructuring which would not be suitable for the clinic's

patients. "

Dr Cosgrove left the then Bath Mental Health Care Trust in 1994. He has said he

was not allowed to prescribe Ritalin as widely as he wanted.

His treatment of ADHD has come under fire from the Citizens' Commission on Human

Rights.

The group started lodging complaints with the GMC about Dr Cosgrove in 2000, and

claims there is a lack of scientific evidence to substantiate the existence of

ADHD.

But Bilbow, founder and director of the Attention Deficit Disorder

Information and Support Service, said Ritalin had been researched more

extensively than almost any other drug, and proved to work. " Where it is

properly prescribed for the right reasons it is very effective. "

d.lewins@...