Former surgeon guilty of poor treatment

Dr Mason admitted he had failed his patients

A doctor who quit surgery after he carried out botched operations has been found guilty of giving poor treatment to five patients.

Two people died after neck and throat operations carried out by Dr Julian Mason, 38, while others were left with damaged nerves, paralysis or unnecessary scarring, the General Medical Council (GMC) was told.

But the GMC cleared the former ear, nose and throat surgeon of poor treatment of eight other patients at the Royal Bolton Hospital.

The conduct committee will now consider whether he is guilty of serious professional misconduct.

I readily admit I failed my patients, I let down my colleagues and finally I let the profession down

Dr Julian Mason

Dr Mason, of Newbury, Berkshire, is now working in old-age psychiatry at the Fairmile Hospital, in Oxfordshire.

He had admitted drinking while on call on three separate occasions and ignoring his on-call bleeper while watching a Manchester United match at Old Trafford.

The hearing was told he was responsible for the death of a 43-year-old woman after a major artery in her neck was cut by a laser gun.

He also failed to properly diagnose the cause of a 70-year-old man's enlarged glands and severed a nerve in an operation to remove his left tonsil.

'Avoidable death'

The patient suffered a heart attack and died the following day.

Greg Milner-White, for the GMC, said: "The treatment of this patient was mismanaged by Mason.

"It is essential to make a complete diagnosis before any surgery is carried out.

"As a result of Mr Mason's faults, this patient suffered an avoidable post-operative death."

Mason told the committee he had started drinking after starting his job in Bolton because he had left his parents, wife and child behind in Nottingham.

He said: "It was a very sad and miserable time. I readily admit I failed my patients, I let down my colleagues and finally I let the profession down."

He was originally charged with irresponsible treatment of 13 patients between 1998 and 1999.

The hearing continues.