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International - Activity
Private Firm Investigates Misconduct in England
March 2000, Vol. 8, No. 2
A private investigative agency has been responding to allegations of scientific misconduct committed by medical practitioners conducting clinical research in the United Kingdom since 1996 in lieu of professional, academic, and scientific organizations and government agencies.
"In Britain we seem to be leaving it to pharmaceutical companies, a private agency, and the media to discover most cases. Cases that emerge from investigations held by medical schools or royal colleges are vanishingly rare," wrote Richard Smith, editor, British Medical Journal, in the 1998 Annual Report of the Committee on Publication Ethics.
In December 1997, the Medical Research Council (MRC), the leading research agency on human health in England, issued a policy and procedure for inquiring into allegations of scientific misconduct made against personnel in its intramural program. Institutions receiving MRC grants also are expected to comply with the policy and procedure.
MedicoLegal Investigations, a private agency, was founded by Peter Jay, a retired detective chief inspector for Scotland Yard and former senior investigator for the General Medical Council (GMC) Solicitors, and Frank Wells, M.D., former Director of Medical Affairs for the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry. The GMC is the governing body of the medical profession and is empoweredto take disciplinary actions.
Jay and Wells have investigated cases involving 52 studies and 16 doctors since 1996. Twelve cases in which prima facie evidence of fraud/misconduct has been found were forwarded to GMC for processing.
Two of these cases have been completed, each doctor being found guilty of serious professional misconduct and having his name erased from the Medical Register. Three additional cases involving 25 studies are currently under investigation.
Cases are referred to Jay and Wells primarily by pharmaceutical companies; other sources are universities, health authorities, research ethics committees and individual whistleblowers.Although most of their cases involve clinical research, they have also investigated allegations involving the use of animals and basic laboratory research. Funding is provided mainly by the pharmaceutical industry.
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