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Found 24 results
  1. Content Article
    In this piece for the BMJ, Chris Bennett shares her thoughts about the year she and her husband had together after he was found to have a brain tumour. Reflecting on the relative risks, costs and benefits of surgery, she describes the value of her husband being given a little more time to spend with his family. She discusses the importance of healthcare professionals giving of honest explanations of choices and their consequences. This can give patients a valuable feeling of having some personal control over their situation.
  2. News Article
    A police investigation into allegations of preventable deaths and injuries at an NHS trust has doubled the number of cases it is looking at, BBC News can reveal. The claims centre on care and treatment provided by University Hospitals Sussex NHS Trust between 2015 and 2021. Sussex Police started looking in 2023 into an initial 105 cases, but BBC File On 4 Investigates has learned that number is now more than 200. The force says the investigation is "active and ongoing", but it will "not be providing specific details around case numbers at this time". Police became involved after two whistleblowers raised allegations of medical negligence at two of the trust's departments - neurosurgery and general surgery, including concerns about at least 40 deaths. The increase in cases is linked to more families having contacted the police. Separate to this investigation, the BBC have spoken to the family of a patient who allege they were "lied" to by a senior surgeon in the trust's general surgery department, before he carried out an operation that left her with life-threatening injuries. Read full story Source: BBC News, 7 January 2025
  3. News Article
    Patients who had probes located in the wrong part of their brain due to failings at an NHS trust suffered unnecessarily for years, a damning report has found. The leaked report into deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, seen by the BBC, also shows a whistleblower was ignored, intimidated and disciplined. Wendy Swain, who had electrodes in the wrong place for 11 years, leading to difficulty walking and a facial twitch, said: “They’ve made my life hell.” The trust, already under fire following an inquiry that exposed a culture of bullying and a lack of openness, said it was "truly sorry" for the mistakes and felt "deep regret". Dr Chris Clough, former chair of the National Clinical Advisory Team who oversaw the final report into the brain surgery failings, said he did not believe the trust was learning lessons. “I am begging them to get this report out and be open and fair with patients,” he said. “There’s suffering that has gone on here and they need to let people know what went on.” Read full story Source: BBC News, 6 December 2024
  4. News Article
    Patients who underwent brain operations at a West Midlands NHS trust suffered unnecessarily because of poor surgical outcomes, a report has found. More than 150 deep brain stimulation surgery cases at University Hospitals Birmingham (UHB) trust are now being investigated and surgery is suspended. There were unacceptable delays responding to patient concerns, the independent review also said. The investigation recommended indefinitely suspending the service at the NHS trust until it is safer. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) for movement disorders is used on patients with conditions including Parkinson's disease and dystonia, where medication is becoming less effective. The independent review, carried out by medics from King's College Hospital, was ordered by UHB after a serious incident investigation of a patient who underwent DBS for Parkinson's disease. One of those 21 people, Keith Bastable, 74, from Brierley Hill, had DBS in May 2019 for his Parkinson's disease and the review found his probes were placed too far away to be acceptable. Due to the misplacement, one was never switched on and the other probe had to be switched off as he suffered slurred speech and other side effects. They were removed and new ones recently reinserted in Oxford after he was referred to a hospital trust there. Mr Bastable said he had felt abandoned in the time it had taken to get resolved. Read full story Source: BBC News, 29 November 2022
  5. Content Article
    A monthly journal for all operating theatre staff covering surgical and anaesthesia news. 2024 February issue The post-anaesthetic care of a patient following impacted wisdom tooth extraction New Inquiry: NHS Leadership, Performance and Patient Safety Pensioner goes home within hours of having heart valve replacement surgery A student’s Reflection on an experience within the obstetrics theatre Multidisciplinary clinical hub at Cardiff Met offers new vision for healthcare delivery January issue The change in practice of aortic procedures following the introduction of hybrid theatre in a tertiary centre. Evolving heart surgery education is crucial to equip surgeons with the skills to match the technology. A case study detailing the postoperative recovery of an elective patient. Why managing NHS waiting lists is about safety, not just numbers. Keeping an eye on bad behaviour in the operating theatre. Reducing oxygen levels for children in intensive care will save lives, new study shows. Navigating burnout in healthcare: A critical examination of operating theatre staff in the UK. 2023 December issue Royal Papworth patient is first recruit to new ‘blood powder’ heart surgery research trial. A simple guide to the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF). The post-anaesthesia care of an elective inguinal hernia repair patient. Surgical teams at Southmead Hospital carry out 24 robotic-assisted gynaecology procedures in two days. New deep learning challenge to estimate breast density from mammograms. Retained swabs following invasive procedures: Themes identified from a review of NHS serious incident reports. November 2023 Workplace ostracism is clearly associated with healthcare workers’ job satisfaction, stress and perceived health. London operating department practitioner advocacy pilot project. How to share decision-making about major surgery for people at high risk of complications. Proportion of people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities registering to donate on the NHS Organ Donor Register is on the rise Trends in cancer. The world’s first collection of brain metastasis living samples will help treat each patient with the most effective therapy for them. Children’s Surgery Magic October 2023 A reflection on my learning as an individual and as part of a team during my second-year anaesthetic placement. Region-wide AI deal to help tackle waiting lists across nine NHS trusts. North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust uses RealWear headsets for training. Patients treated sooner thanks to Joint Working to Improve Orthopaedic Care. “Embracing Sustainability in the Operating Theatre: The Shift to Reusable Scrub Caps”. September issue Serious hazards of transfusion (SHOT) report warns of alarming increase in transfusion errors and harm to patients. Doctors cut waiting list for breast cancer surgery patients. Study reveals surgeons need to improve how they communicate with patients about new procedures. Professor Sir Terence Stephenson, "all NHS trusts must use barcodes to locate high-risk devices". Nurses’ intentions to quit increased during the pandemic despite their high resilience. August issue Most common medical claims: How to avoid malpractice allegations. Report recommends packaging and labelling change to prevent implant ‘never event’. New guidance on safe injection practice in hospitals emphasises the importance of prefilled and labelled syringes in avoiding medication errors. Progress with the new hospital programme. Advancements in minimally invasive surgery: Techniques, instruments, and patient outcomes. July issue NHS must accept accountability and learn from mistakes. Simulation based education in healthcare higher education: In what ways does it impact perceived clinical confidence, knowledge, and skills acquisition in student Operating Department Practitioners? Risk reduction in endo-tracheal tube fixation. Historic plan launched to move Wales towards zero deaths from bowel cancer. Taking higher-than-recommended doses of Vitamin D for five years reduced the risk of atrial fibrillation. As complications from cosmetic tourism rise, UK and Turkish plastic surgeons unite to issue consumer guidelines. New research highlights opportunities to improve care of patients having major surgery. June issue How to THRIVE in the Operating Theatre Preoperative optimisation: The effect of prehabilitation interventions on the postoperative recovery of cancer patients undergoing colorectal surgery – Literature review and discussion based paper. Surgeons must tackle three global health challenges to save lives. “PERUSE before you Infuse”. Artificial Intelligence could speed up heart attack diagnosis, SurgiBox: Ukraine’s SurgiBox Project has been successfully demonstrating safe surgery to patients around the world May issue Reducing mortality in emergency surgery: Focussing minds through a national clinical audit in the NHS. Majority of NHS trusts do not offer training to prevent sexual harassment, study finds. Handwashing during ‘normal times’ can reduce burden of respiratory disease. The Surgical Education Checklist as a tool to improve teaching within the operating theatre. April issue NatSSIPs 2 Sequential Steps: The NatSSIPs Eight – Flowchart. Mobile operating theatre helping drive down waiting times in Yorkshire. Why hospitals and ICBs are seeking new intel to find hidden high-risk patients on waiting lists. March issues NHS Scotland first in world to ‘clean up’ anaesthetic gases. New standards to Improve the safety of invasive procedures in the NHS. Researchers suggest novel cutpoints for diagnosing cardiac hypertrophy in adolescents and young adults. NHS patients targeted to reduce risks as they wait for hospital treatment. February New standards to improve the safety of invasive procedures in the NHS. Delphi Study Round Three – A study across NHS England hospital trust operating theatres. Crash and burn(out) – Aviation-style safety checklist and confidential helpline for surgical community to prevent mental health crisis. A Wound Care Study: has the pandemic led to new and improved ways of working? HSIB investigation: Access to critical patient information at the bedside. Artificial intelligence, Patient safety and achieving the quintuple aim in anaesthesiology. January Delphi Study Round Two – A study across NHS England hospital trust operating theatres. Intercollegiate green theatre checklist Local Interventions to support the recovery of elective surgery at the University College London Hospitals department of theatres & anaesthesia. 2022 December issue Delphi Study Round One – A study across NHS England Hospital Trust operating theatres. Managing NHS backlogs and waiting times in England. Steroid injections worsen knee arthritis, according to two new studies. First robotic hysterectomy completed in Wales. World’s first algae-based local anaesthetic another step closer to reality. How new bacterial species siscovered in Asian soil could help battle against antibiotic resistance November issue New research calls for all health and care staff to be trained in AI Reducing noise in operating theatre improves children’s behaviour after surgery, study finds Brain tumour patient operated on awake while playing saxophone No difference between spinal versus general anaesthesia in patients having hip fracture surgery finds study October issue Why are intra-operative surgical Never Events still occurring in NHS operating theatres? Radical rethink needed to improve safety in health and social care. World Anaesthesia Day 2022: History, significance, celebrations and theme. £4 million “space-age” operating theatre will help bring down eye surgery backlog. Two thirds of nurses choosing between food and fuel as cost of living bites and one in five turn to food banks. ‘An inspirational story’: Hartlepool cleaner changes career to become hospital nurse. September issue Service evaluation of the current World Health Organisation’s Surgical Safety Checklist in spine surgery at the University Hospitals of Derby & Burton. Could this lead to a change in NHS Improvement? The Anaesthetic Gas Scavenging System Project. Cancelled operations could be prevented by an earlier anaemia test and time to prepare. The top 10 things experts need you to know about screening during Gynaecological Cancer Awareness Month September 2022 £35.5m for New Friarage Hospital Operating Theatres. New robotic surgical system revolutionises patient care at UHCW. Insourcing: Giving NHS operating theatre teams a helping hand. Arterial stiffness raises blood pressure in adolescents via insulin resistance. Birmingham’s Public Health Chief is among sector leaders to receive university honours,
  6. News Article
    Police are investigating 105 cases of alleged medical negligence at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton amid claims of a cover-up. Specialist officers from the National Crime Agency and Sussex police are looking into cases of harm, which include at least 40 deaths, in the general surgery and neurosurgery departments between 2015 and 2021. An email from Sussex police, released to The Times after a court application, revealed the huge investigation is looking into 84 cases connected to neurology and 21 related to gastroenterology. Most of the families are yet to be told that their case is among them. Officers were called in by the senior coroner after she heard of allegations made by two consultant surgeons at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, one of the largest NHS organisations with 20,000 staff. The trust has been accused of bullying the whistleblowers and attempting to cover up the circumstances of the deaths. Mansoor Foroughi, a consultant neurosurgeon, was sacked for “acting in bad faith” in December 2021 after raising concerns about 19 deaths and 23 cases of serious patient harm. Another whistleblower, Krishna Singh, a consultant general surgeon, claimed that he lost his post as clinical director because he said the trust promoted insufficiently competent surgeons, introduced an unsafe rota and had cut costs too quickly. Read full story (paywalled) Source: The Times, 27 November 2023
  7. News Article
    The police have begun an investigation into the clinical practices of former consultant neurologist Michael Watt. He was at the centre of Northern Ireland's largest patient recall in 2018. Over 5,000 patients were recalled amid concerns over his clinical practice. In a highly significant move, an email was sent to patients and families of deceased patients and explained that the investigation is called Operation Begrain. It will be conducted by a major investigation team led by Det Ch Insp Neil McGuinness and Det Insp Gina Quinn. Danielle O'Neill, a former patient of Dr Watt, said she and others are in "complete shock and hope that at last justice will be done". "It's been a long and difficult five years and it is not over yet," she added. Earlier this month a medical tribunal found that the former doctor's fitness to practice was "currently impaired" and that his professional performance was "unacceptable". An appeal will be made to former patients who have concerns regarding their medical treatment by Michael Watt, to come forward to the police. A short questionnaire will also be shared in order to "capture patients' concerns", that information will go straight to the investigation team and will be the first step in the police investigative process. Read full story Source: BBC News, 28 November 2023
  8. News Article
    A "gang culture" existed at an NHS neurosurgery department, a doctor has claimed at his employment tribunal. Neurosurgeon Mansoor Foroughi is one of two surgeons who alleges patients were put at risk at University Hospitals Sussex, where police are investigating 105 cases of alleged medical negligence. Four whistleblowers at the trust previously told BBC Newsnight that patients had died unnecessarily while others were "effectively maimed". They also complained of a "Mafia-like" management culture. Mansoor Foroughi alleges one colleague was approved to perform complex spinal surgery without adequate training. He claims a second surgeon undertook procedures that led to a "disproportionate" level of deaths. Mr Foroughi says a third surgeon undertook private work whilst on call to the NHS, which if true would be a breach of the NHS Code of Conduct. Universities Hospitals Sussex dismissed Mr Foroughi following a disciplinary hearing which upheld three allegations against him. He alleges the trust punished him because he raised these safety concerns. The trust said it would "vigorously contest" his claims. Read full story Source: BBC News, 11 April 2024
  9. News Article
    Medical students aided by an AI tutor outperformed peers taught remotely by human experts in a complicated surgical training procedure, new research reports. The Neurosurgical Simulation and Artificial Intelligence Learning Centre in Montreal, Canada, randomly assigned 70 students feedback and assistance from either a sophisticated AI system, a remote expert human instructor, or neither, while they removed virtual brain tumours using a neurosurgical simulator. The AI system, called the Virtual Operative Assistant (VOA), delivered personalised feedback to its students via a machine learning algorithm to teach them safe surgical techniques. Human instructors observed the students over a live feed and gave instructions based on their performance. The students tutored by the AI system learned surgical skills 2.6 times faster and performed 36 per cent better than those advised by human experts, without experiencing the heightened stress the researchers had anticipated. Using AI training models to tutor students could be an effective way to improve their skills and patient safety while reducing the burdens placed on human instructors, the study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found. “Artificially intelligent tutors like the VOA may become a valuable tool in the training of the next generation of neurosurgeons,” said Dr Rolando Del Maestro, the study’s senior author. Read full story Source: iNews, 22 February 2022
  10. Content Article
    Surgeons' News is a magazine for surgical, dental and allied healthcare professionals. Published quarterly by the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, it features comment and opinion from leading professionals, plus reviews and reports on subjects relevant to all career levels.
  11. Content Article
    Adverse events in surgery are a relevant cause of costs, disability, or death, and their incidence is a key quality indicator that plays an important role in the future of health care. In neurosurgery, little is known about the frequency of adverse events and the contribution of human error. The aim of this study from Meyer et al. was to determine the incidence, nature and severity of adverse events in neurosurgery, and to investigate the contribution of human error. They found that adverse events occur frequently in neurosurgery. These data can serve as benchmarks when discussing quality-based accreditation and reimbursement in upcoming health care reforms. The high frequency of human performance deficiencies contributing to adverse events shows that there is potential to further eliminate avoidable patient harm. Highlights of the study: Prospective observation of all patients treated at an academic neurosurgical centre. Investigation of the incidence and severity of adverse events and their relation to human error. 25.0% of patients had at least one adverse event. Human error was involved in 25.9% of cases with adverse events. These data provide benchmarks for tertiary care neurosurgery and health care reform.
  12. Content Article
    CORESS is an independent charity, which aims to promote safety in surgical practice in the NHS and the private sector. CORESS receives confidential incident reports from surgeons and theatre staff. These reports are analysed by the Advisory Board, who make comments and extract lessons to be learned. Aiming to educate, and avoid blame, CORESS calls on surgeons to recognise a near miss or adverse event, react by taking action to stop it happening and then report the incident to CORESS so that the lessons can be published. Every month CORESS highlight's one of the cases reported for you to consider the issues raised and read the experts comments. The focus of CORESS is on detecting and learning from no-harm, near-miss and low harm events encountered during routine surgical practice. The programme collects reports of such events, analyses them and disseminates the learning contained within them to a wide surgical audience and other agencies involved in Patient Safety matters. These events are known collectively as ‘Accident Precursor Events’ or simply ‘Precursors’. See previous reports below. Summer 2021 - Unrecognised limb ischemia following trauma, differences of opinion in management for tongue laceration, lack of communication in patient discharge, consequences of service disruption during the COVID-19 Pandemic, systems and communications errors leading to orthopaedic Never Event, too slick by half. Winter 2020 - Missed pulmonary embolism, gastrectomy kit miscommunication, leaking gastrostomy, fatal pulmonary embolus after renal cancer surgery, ureteric injury, PICC line misplacement, CVP line causing haemothorax. Summer 2020 - Thoracic outlet surgery complications, missed breast tumour in pooled case, abscess confusion, injection error, fall from grace, atypical thromboses.
  13. Content Article
    Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) is designed to improve the quality of care within the NHS by reducing unwarranted variations. By tackling variations in the way services are delivered across the NHS, and by sharing best practice between trusts, GIRFT identifies changes that will help improve care and patient outcomes, as well as delivering efficiencies such as the reduction of unnecessary procedures and cost savings. Cranial neurosurgery deals with serious and often urgent conditions including head injuries, brain bleeds and brain tumours. Around 75,000 patients receive neurosurgery on the NHS each year. This report makes 15 recommendations to improve patient pathways, reduce length of hospital stays and minimise cancellations and delays. Watch a short video summary of the report, including key recommendations.
  14. News Article
    Deep-rooted relationship problems between consultants in a major trust’s neurosurgery department distracted from patient care, according to a review leaked to HSJ. A review by the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) into neurosurgery services at University Hospitals Birmingham FT last year found serious concerns over consultant “cliques” and relationship problems across the department. It comes as a new review has been launched into the care of 23 patients in the deep brain stimulation service, which is a sub-speciality in the department. According to the RCS report, which was completed in May last year, there have been wide-ranging problems within the department for several years. The report said: “Poor team working and inter-relational difficulties, which had been deep-rooted and recognised to have existed for some time, have had the potential to compromise patient care and will be likely to continue to do so if these issues remain unresolved.” It suggested some consultant neurosurgeons had prioritised their personal or professional differences over patient care, with the relationship issues being “amplified” within the wider surgical workforce. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 7 April 2021
  15. Content Article
    Since 2015 Quomodus has developed the digital course 'Diathermy – a practical guide to electrosurgery' for surgeons and other professional users of electrosurgery. The 30-minute course covers the history of electrosurgery, indication and proper use, adverse effects and complications associated with the use of diathermy. The course has been tested and quality assured by health professionals in Scandinavia. The course is flexible, user friendly and applies to all models of diathermy equipment currently on the market.
  16. Content Article
    The authors of this paper describe here the content and structure of their patient registry along the Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence (SQUIRE) with the aim of transparent in-house quality monitoring, communication with patients, and also to facilitate benchmarking with other neurosurgery health care providers.
  17. Content Article
    Ever wondered what a day in the life of a neurosurgeon on-call is like? Watch this video to follow a neurosurgery resident in a UK major trauma centre as he works a 28 hour shift.
  18. Content Article
    In 1991, the Institute of Medicine released a landmark report revealing that as many as 98,000 patients a year were dying due to avoidable medical error. But even more recent research indicates that estimate was, if anything, a drastic understatement of the patient-safety crisis in the US healthcare system. In Malpractice, neurosurgeon and attorney Dr. Larry Schlachter demonstrates how most patients enter the system without any idea of the risks they face due to a medical culture that avoids transparency, perpetuates an atmosphere of blind deference to doctors, and protects dangerous doctors from any accountability. Drawing on twenty-three years of experience, Dr. Schlachter recounts unbelievable stories that illustrate the host of risks patients face whenever they seek diagnostic evaluation or go under the knife. This book brings readers inside the healthcare citadel, exposing the flawed culture that can fuel egos and outlining the steps every patent should take to protect himself or herself in “a bitter pill for an industry that for many years has avoided the hardest conversations about patient safety.”—Dr. Michael Dogali, MDCM, FACS, president of Pacific Neurosurgery
  19. News Article
    Brain surgery using artificial intelligence could be possible within two years, making it safer and more effective, a leading neurosurgeon says. Trainee surgeons are working with the new AI technology, to learn more precise keyhole brain surgery. Developed at University College London, it highlights small tumours and critical structures such as blood vessels at the centre of the brain. The government says it could be "a real game-changer" for healthcare in the UK. Brain surgery is precise and painstaking - straying a millimetre the wrong way could kill a patient instantly. Avoiding damaging the pituitary gland, the size of a grape, at the centre of the brain, is critical. It controls all the body's hormones - and any problems with it can cause blindness. Read full story Source: BBC News, 28 September 2023
  20. News Article
    NHS Tayside has been criticised over its handling of disgraced brain surgeon Sam Eljamel in a new report. The internal due diligence review criticised health board management for putting the doctor under indirect supervision in June 2013 rather than suspending him. The surgeon harmed dozens of patients but was allowed to continue operating until he was suspended in late 2013. Some of his patients were left with life-changing injuries. He was employed as a surgeon by NHS Tayside for 18 years and later became the head of the neurosurgery department in Ninewells Hospital in Dundee. NHS Tayside has apologised to former patients of Prof Eljamel and committed to assisting in the Scottish government's independent commission for patient concerns. The health board claimed it became aware of concerns around the surgeon in June 2013, but an NHS whistleblower told the BBC the health board knew as early as 2009 that there were serious concerns. He is now working as a surgeon in Libya. Read full story Source: BBC News, 1 September 2023
  21. News Article
    A14-year-old girl could lose the ability to walk after her brain surgery was cancelled three times as NHS children’s services are stretched to breaking point. Piper Miller, who has severe autism, needs urgent surgery to remove fluid on her brain that if unaddressed could also leave her unable to control her bladder. But her operation has been pushed back three times in the past month due to emergency operations taking priority and severe short staffing made worse by junior doctors’ strikes. Her mum, Toni Milner said the delays had had a “heartbreaking and gut-wrenching” effect on her daughter whose anxiety is “sent through the roof” each time she is told she is not having her surgery. Piper’s story comes as NHS data uncovered by The Independent reveals at least 340 life-saving children’s operations, such as transplant and lung surgery, were shelved from April to December 2022, while 763 emergency operations were refused due to a lack of intensive care beds. Read full story Source: The Independent, 16 July 2023
  22. News Article
    Leann Sutherland was 21 and suffering from chronic migraines when one of Scotland's top surgeons offered to operate. She was told she would be in hospital for a few days and had a 60% chance of improvement. Instead she was in for months while Sam Eljamel operated on her seven times. "He had free rein on my body. He was playing god with my body and the NHS handed him the scalpel, seven times," says Leann. When Leann tried to raise concerns with staff she was told that Mr Eljamel had saved her life. She was not told that he was under investigation, nor that he had been later forced to step down. It was only after seeing recent BBC coverage she realised she was not alone. The BBC can reveal her surgeon - the former head of neurosurgery at NHS Tayside - was harming patients and putting them at risk for years but the health board let him carry on regardless. BBC Scotland has spoken to three surgeons who worked under Mr Eljamel at Tayside. All three said he was a bully who was allowed to get away with harming patients. All three said there was a lack of accountability in the department and that Mr Eljamel was allowed to behave as if he were a "god" - partly because of the research funding he brought to the department. Read full story Source: BBC News, 16 June 2023
  23. News Article
    Police are investigating about 40 hospital deaths over allegations of medical negligence made by two consultant surgeons who lost their jobs after blowing the whistle about patient safety. The allegedly botched operations took place at Royal Sussex County hospital (RSCH) in Brighton, part of University hospital Sussex NHS trust, when it was run by a management team hailed by Jeremy Hunt as the best in the NHS. Last week, detectives from Sussex police wrote to the trust’s chief executive, George Findlay, confirming they had launched a formal investigation into “a number of deaths” at the RSCH. They were investigating allegations of “criminal culpability through medical negligence” made by “two separate clinical consultants” at the trust, the letter said. It is understood about 40 deaths occurred between 2015 and 2020 after alleged errors in general surgery and neurosurgery departments. Both whistleblowers alleged the trust failed to properly investigate the deaths and learn from the mistakes made. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 9 June 2023
  24. News Article
    The high-profile Australian neurosurgeon Charlie Teo admits making an error by going “too far” and damaging a patient, but maintains she was told of the risks. The doctor on Monday appeared at a medical disciplinary hearing to explain how two women patients ended up with catastrophic brain injuries. Teo also defended allegations that he acted inappropriately by slapping a patient in an attempt to rouse her after surgery, contrasting it with Will Smith’s notorious slap of Chris Rock at the Academy Awards last year. “It wakes them up and it wakes them up pretty quickly. And I will continue to do it.” Charlie Teo tells inquiry he ‘did the wrong thing’ in surgery that left patient in vegetative state One of the issues the panel of legal and medical experts is considering is whether the women and their families were adequately informed of the risks of surgery. Both women had terminal brain tumours and had been given from weeks to months to live. They were left in essentially vegetative states after the surgeries and died soon after. “We were told he could give us more time,” one of the husbands said, according to court documents. “There was never any information about not coming out of it". Read full story Source: The Guardian, 27 March 2023
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