NHS Lanarkshire has welcomed the sentencing of shamed Airdrie doctor Krishna Singh – and commended his victims and the police for helping to bring him to justice.
Last week, Lanarkshire Live reported on how retired GP Singh's conviction for sex offences against 47 women over more than three decades saw him jailed for 12 years and placed on the sex offenders' register for an indefinite period.
Vile Singh, of Airdrie, was described as "hiding in plain sight" as he abused his position to prey on his many victims over 35 years.
The 72-year-old's targets included a rape victim, teenage children and pregnant women.
Dr Jane Burns, NHS Lanarkshire medical director, told Lanarkshire Live : “We welcome this sentencing. Krishna Singh’s actions were a deplorable breach of trust.
“NHS Lanarkshire was alerted to an initial allegation in 2018 when a patient wrote to us. With her consent, we informed Police Scotland and assisted them with their investigation.
"As a result of these investigations, the police identified further cases. Throughout, NHS Lanarkshire has worked jointly with Police Scotland to support the investigation and we commend the officers involved for the speed with which they acted.
“We terminated Krishna Singh’s General Medical Services contract for the Blairgrove Surgery in 2018 following charges being brought against him. The safety and wellbeing of the practice’s patients was our priority and alternative arrangements were put in place to ensure they continued to receive general medical services.
“GPs are independent contractors and are not employed by health boards. While no amount of policies and protocols can absolutely prevent an individual with criminal intent finding ways to circumvent them, we have written to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport to request a national review of the safeguarding arrangements within general practice to support and protect patients.”
Scotland’s Procurator Fiscal for High Court, Ruth McQuaid, also commented on the "damage" Singh caused to "the lives of women while hiding behind his position as a trusted and respected member of the community".
Ms McQuaid added: "Krishna Singh’s case is the largest against a doctor ever experienced by Scotland’s prosecutors.
"Our expert team was struck by the scale of offending, the number of victims, and the prolonged time-period over which the GP committed his crimes. Reports spanned four decades.
"But it was the betrayal of trust this case exposed which will live long in the minds of those who were part of bringing Singh to justice.
"The victims kept telling us they thought no one would believe their stories over the word of a doctor. They were believed. The truth was proved because they had to courage to speak out.
"Such was the number of witnesses - required to give intimate evidence - that a special weekend opening of the High Court in Glasgow was arranged for them to try to allay their nerves.
"The Advocate Depute was there to talk through the concerns of each one along with our specialist VIA (Victim Information and Advice) officers. Many victims had never been in a courtroom before.
"As complainer after complainer reported similar experiences at the hands of the medic, it became clear we were dealing with allegations of serious sexual offending that were destined for the High Court.
"Victims included pregnant women, a victim of rape and three girls aged under 16. Offences were alleged to have been carried out at the doctor’s medical practices in Lanarkshire but also at police stations, a hospital A&E department and the homes of patients.
"Working closely with Police Scotland, our prosecutors held discussions with representatives of the London-based National Crime Agency (NCA) - more commonly consulted over cases of organised crime.
"The NCA identified two independent medical experts who could assess the ‘examinations’ carried out by Singh on female patients, practices he claimed to have been taught during medical training in India.
"These expert witnesses helped the Crown prove Singh had perpetrated serious sexual assaults under the guise of legitimate medical checks for 34 years.
"Our prosecutors spent months meticulously going through the women’s statements. Thousands of pages of medical records were retrieved, read and then redacted to seek to preserve the confidentiality of victims’ personal details."
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