Hospital got letters of complaint

In recent weeks, the hospital at which the consultant works, has received several anguished letters from patients regarding his…

In recent weeks, the hospital at which the consultant works, has received several anguished letters from patients regarding his alleged conduct.

While these letters of complaint have not formed part of the body of evidence which has led the health board in question to move to have him take leave, they have alarmed the authorities.

In one such letter written this month, the female patient said she was brought to tears, was worried and very distressed after seeing the doctor.

The woman saw Dr A in his gynaecology clinic on December 2nd and found the experience very upsetting. She told the doctor she had a pain in her side to which Dr A allegedly responded by talking about ovarian cancer; he allegedly told her that no scan, no test, no examination of any description would tell her whether she in fact had cancer or not. She would not know until it was too late.

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The woman told the hospital authorities that Dr A had laughed at her when she mentioned a scan. He allegedly told her she would be lucky to get a scan in February and said that a scan would not tell her a lot.

Dr A allegedly kept repeating that there was no test to determine whether a patient had ovarian cancer or not. He said he would be a happy man if there was a test to show ovarian cancer because he would not be a widower and could have saved his wife.

According to the woman, Dr A mentioned his concern for his two daughters because of their mother's untimely death. He said the only way to find out if you have ovarian cancer was to take your ovaries out, and put them in a bucket in front of him.

He said some patients whom he had asked, while performing a hysterectomy, whether he would also remove their ovaries had declined and had died within five years.

The woman said she left the clinic in a distressed state. She left believing that Dr A had given her what amounted to a death sentence. Her husband believed there was no hope for his wife as a result of what the doctor had said.