Dr Barney WilliamsDOCTOR Barney Williams, who was recently reinstated as an NHS GP, has been described as a loose cannon and accused of berating patients and breaching confidentiality.

Dr Williams, who was sacked by the Kennet and North Wiltshire Primary Health Care Trust for failing to provide out-of-hours care and then given his job back several months later, has now been charged with serious professional misconduct.

He has denied the allegations and is facing a General Medical Council hearing in Manchester, which could last three weeks.

The accusations levelled against him include being rude and aggressive with patients, chatting with friends on the phone during consultations and discussing medical problems within earshot of people in his Marshfield Road Surgery waiting room.

The charges relate to a three-year period between April 2001 and January 2004.

Opening the case, Dafydd Enoch said: "The actions of the doctor over this period have been characterised by rudeness, intolerance, pugnacity and, on occasions, dishonesty.

"Loose cannons are a liability in any walk of life and the committee may think particularly so in the medical profession."

Dr Williams is also accused of failing to arrange an out-of-hours telephone hotline for patients needing medical guidance.

It is also alleged that when the PCT investigated a complaint by one patient he wrongly claimed to have lost their notes. He then handed them to his solicitors some months later.

Dr Williams' Chippenham surgery had more than 3,000 patients on its list before the closure of the surgery earlier this year.

His contract with the NHS was not renewed when he passed his out-of- hours care to the PCT because he said he could not provide an adequate service.

After a long campaign by devoted patients he was allowed to practise again last month but now faces a new battle.

Patients were outraged by the latest allegations levelled against Dr Williams and accused the PCT of being out to get him.

Cedric Norton, chairman of the Friends of Marshfield Road Surgery, said on Tuesday: "I think it is disgraceful. Language can not match what I feel there aren't words I can use.

"I watched a report on this on television last night, and saw the poor man going into a court with nobody there to support him except for a solicitor.

"I think the whole lot of charges have been trumped up. I can't believe it's all true. It's the PCT that's brought this they're going all out to get him. I just don't know why."

Mr Norton said he sincerely hoped Dr Williams would be cleared of all the charges.

Dr Williams' wife and practice manager Avril Williams, said most of the patients had been aware of the case.

She said they had made every effort to be open about what was going to happen.

She said they knew before last Christmas the case would be brought against Dr Williams. Mrs Williams will herself be called as a witness.

She said: "We are continuing work as usual at the surgery. None of the charges constitute anything worrying for patients.

"There is no accusation of anybody having died, or lost an eye or anything like that.

"The charges are totally untrue, and these are not complaints we ever hear over the counter here in the surgery, which is the first place they would come."

She said her husband had faced another investigation into his practice by the GMC four years ago, when he was completely cleared of any wrong-doing and the practice was reckoned to be excellent, and a standard appraisal of his work carried out in January this year described Dr Williams as brilliant.

"Doctors do need to show they are doing a good job, and we do need to take care to see patients are not being looked after by charlatans," she said.

"My own view is that we will come out of this fine. The patients have been amazingly supportive."

She denied Dr Williams had ever taken any social calls during consultations, a fact she said the receptionists could confirm.

Mrs Williams said she had no idea what might happen to her husband if he was found guilty of the charges or whether he would lose his contract again.

But she said Dr Williams remained in good spirits despite the ordeal of the hearing.