Breast surgeon is fit to practise

A breast surgeon who committed serious breaches in his treatment of three patients can continue to practise, the General Medical Council has ruled.

Brian Gwynn's actions in two cases at Staffordshire General Hospital and one at Rowley Hall Hospital, Stafford, amounted to misconduct, the GMC found.

But the Fitness to Practise panel said on Friday it was satisfied he "had remedied the deficiencies highlighted".

Mr Gwynn remains suspended from breast surgery until a GMC hearing next year.

The hearing in February will consider whether to place a warning against the surgeon's name on the medical register.

At the hearing in Manchester, the panel did not uphold criticisms about his care of three other women treated between May 2000 and December 2003.

'Horrible scarring'

But in three cases, it found the actions of Mr Gwynn, who denied all charges, "fell below the standard expected" of a reasonably competent surgeon performing breast surgery.

The panel heard a letter from one of the patients which alleged she had been "butchered" by Mr Gwynn who performed breast reconstructive surgery on her at Staffordshire General Hospital in January 2001.

She wrote in 2003: ""I have been left with horrible scarring which has had a huge psychological effect."

The woman, referred to as MC, died later from an unrelated cancer.

The panel heard Mr Gwynn's surgery had left a hole in her stomach, which caused her great pain and needed further treatment.

The panel concluded the consultant had "insufficient skill, knowledge and experience" to perform the operation.

Other breaches included that he did not advise her of the potential risks and complications of the operation.

'Significant changes'

Mr Gwynn was also criticised by the panel for failing to treat a wound of a woman following a private breast reduction operation at Rowley Hall Hospital in 2002.

And the panel heard a third woman had complications following surgery to reverse an inverted nipple.

The GMC reported that Mr Gwynn did not warn her she was at a "very high risk of complications" because of her medical history which meant she was unable to make an informed choice.

Mr Gwynn told the panel he had "reflected long and hard on the cases" and made significant changes to his practise.

The GMC heard from his colleagues who said he was now "meticulous" when taking consent and explaining risks.

He was told by the panel that it had "heard no evidence of any repetition of these deficiencies since 2003".

It was "satisfied that it is highly unlikely that your misconduct and deficient professional performance will be repeated".