Negligent paediatric surgeon in Manchester
Hospital chiefs face calls for an inquiry after claims they ignored repeated warnings about an incompetent paediatric surgeon found guilty of misconduct.
Dr Pierina Kapur faces being struck-off after a General Medical Council panel heard this month how she removed 90 per cent of a seven-week-old baby girl's bladder – mistaking it for a hernia during an operation at Manchester Children's Hospital in 2008. The panel concluded that her conduct was so poor it went "beyond mere negligence" and rejected claims she was a competent and safe surgeon.
It is alleged that several of Dr Kapur's colleagues alerted senior hospital staff at Alder Hey Hospital, in Liverpool, and Manchester children's hospitals about her abilities to operate safely as early as 2005. This included the case of Logan Cockcroft, aged six, who nearly died after a routine stomach operation was performed negligently.
This case highlights the issue of the standard of care available at NHS Hospitals and the disregard that it is alleged is being shown to individuals who raise concern about their collegues conduct and abilities. Last year MPs heard that staff concerns at Mid Staffs Hospital, where up to 1,200 patients died because of poor care, were ignored by hospital managers.
Logan Cockcroft, from Burnley, almost died when Dr Kapur failed to notice she had skewered his colon whilst undertaking an operation to insert a feeding tube into his stomach. The life-threatening mistake was only discovered 10 months later by a surgeon at Alder Hey after Logan's weight dropped to 12lbs and his mother, Jill, insisted on a second opinion. She has referred his case to the GMC.
If you or your child has suffered an injury after undergoing a surgical procedure, you may be entitled to claim for compensation. Please contact one of our specialist medical negligence lawyers to discuss your case.
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