August 2003 Sex offender doctor is still allowed to treat NHS patients A senior gynaecologist who was placed on the sex offenders’ register for viewing child pornography on the internet has been allowed to keep his NHS job. The decision has been condemned by patients and children’s charities. Charles Redman, 46, was arrested as part of Operation Ore, a nationwide investigation that has netted thousands of suspected paedophiles. He has been forced to stop working at the private Nuffield Hospital in Clayton, Staffordshire, but has been allowed to retain his job at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire NHS Trust. Michele Elliott, the director of Kidscape, a charity dedicated to child safety, said: “There’s no way he should be allowed to continue seeing patients. I wouldn’t want him seeing me. The private hospital has got it right. The NHS has made a bad mistake.” Mr Redman’s case is still under investigation by the General Medical Council, which has the power to strike off doctors. “It’s bizarre that he should be allowed to go on working while the GMC has yet to decide whether he can keep his licence. At the very least he should have been suspended,” added Mrs Elliott. Margaret Morrissey, of the National Confederation of Parent Teacher Associations, said: “This sends out the wrong message about child porn on the internet. I would have grave concerns about him seeing patients whether or not they were children.” Mr Redman, who is married with a teenage son, was arrested at his Derbyshire home in December after his credit card details were found at a child porn website. He was suspended by the University Hospital. In April, he accepted a police caution and was placed on the sex offenders’ register for five years. He told police he did not recall accessing the site and had no idea how his details, recorded on the website four and a half years ago, came to be on it. After a disciplinary hearing at University Hospital, he was reinstated. He is due to return there in the autumn. Deborah Henshall, a former patient of Mr Redman, criticised the decision and said she was disturbed by the contrasting approach of the NHS and private hospitals. University Hospital said the wishes of any women not wanting to see Mr Redman would be respected. He is no longer allowed to treat patients aged 18 or under. Mr Redman declined to comment. Mervyn Gamage, the communications director for the NHS trust, said: “We wouldn’t allow him to continue seeing patients if we thought there was any risk to them.” Mr Gamage said Mr Redman had probably examined some adolescent girls in the past, but added that the hospital had never received any complaints of impropriety about his work. Dr Pat Chipping, the hospital’s medical director, said there was doubt over whether Mr Redman had accessed an illegal site. In a statement, Nuffield Hospital said of Mr Redman: “He no longer has practice privileges at the hospital by mutual consent.”