Brain Surgeon 'Lied to Patient' About Removing Her Tumor

In case anyone thinks that socialized health care is the bee's knees and will be beneficial to your medical care...

Brain Surgeon 'lied to patient' about removing her tumour

[pardon the atrocious editing in this article, I just left it be]

He allegedly operated on the woman at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary in September 2008, where instead of removing the legion, which at the time of discovery in 2007 was an inch in diameter, he removed four fragments.

After the operation, Mr Labram allegedly assured the woman, referred to as Patient A, and her husband that everything had progressed well during the operation, forging medical documents to continue the deception, the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service heard.

The General Medical Counsel claims that In January 2009, he is altered a pathology report and sent letters to the woman’s GP indicating that she was healthy. They also claim that he then failed to pass on the results of two MRI scans, only admitting the presence of the tumour on a third scan and that he told the woman that the tumour must have reoccurred.

Now, this is hopefully an isolated incident. Most complaints about single payer health care have to do with non life threatening care. But, it seems that getting a second opinion isn't easy (I would be happy to be wrong about that).

Would you rather be able to sue for medical malpractice or be granted a 'Medical Practitioners Tribunal Hearing' (still ongoing and the surgeon is still practicing if I read this correctly).

Wwwhhhyyyyy would a doctor do this ? Why

reply to post by PtolemyII


He probably was on drugs/drunk/just plain made a mistake and tried to cover his tracks.

It happens in private health care too but at least you can get a second opinion and have legal redress.

He certainly wouldn't still be practicing.

reply to post by greencmp


Paying out of pocket doesn't make health care better. An Ohio woman's brand new kidney that was donated by her brother was recently thrown away by a nurse.

Don't trash unified health care. Blame incompetent dumholes.


Hospital Botched Kidney Surgery

reply to post by PrincessTofu


But, they found out about it instantly and didn't implant the organ and the family is pursuing a legal case.

Not that I am saying that UK nurses would just plop it in and let the patient die from septic shock but, complete transparency such as in that case would be less likely and it could take years for the errant party to be removed.

Also, these are mere symptoms/evidence of the real problem which is subsidy. As a rule, whenever you subsidize something, the quality goes down and the cost goes up. You may not be aware of the increased cost if it is concealed from you, as is the case with our health care system pre-obamacare.

People had the idea that we had competitive care, we did not. There was already enough subsidy through insurance regulation to cause a substantial detriment to cost and quality.

In case anyone thinks that socialized health care is the bee's knees and will be beneficial to your medical care...

If you've been told a procedure has gone well and you've been assured everything will be fine, why would you consider getting a second opinion?
This story is all about a rogue individual rather than the health service he works in so, unless you're pushing an agenda, the sentence I've quoted above is quite superfluous.

I would also assume that the patient will sue for medical malpractice as this has nothing what to do with the medical tribunal. That is just standard procedure before the surgeon gets struck off. Both he as an individual and the health service he works (or worked) for will be held liable.

Oh, and it's quite easy to get a second opinion in the NHS.
You just ask for one and the guidelines state that if you ask, you have to be offered one.

reply to post by greencmp


the problem is that in situations like this, this is one of the few that got caught. You don't know how many fly under the radar.

reply to post by greencmp

In case anyone thinks that socialized health care is the bee's knees and will be beneficial to your medical care...

Mixing malpractice with the way health-care is funded is just wrong if you do not link the it to motivations in regards to profit that makes one way of funding health-care with others. It should be pretty clear even with any examples to the contrary that a system that is funded by taxpayers will ultimately be more responsible to those taxpayers that one that is corporatized. But the system does not exist in a limbo it has several ramifications beyond human resources from the creation of drugs and processes to the use of material resources and access to them and those even in tax payer supported health-care are often in the hand of corporations, not to say that specialists also often belong to orders (gilds) that subvert them in order to benefit their members.

Malpractices has to do more with the laws, requirements and procedures of a nations than to the way the heal-care system is funded. In any case in a tax supported system keeping the taxpayer alive and providing a minimum of health guarantee to all the population seems in the system's self interest

reply to post by greencmp


I don't really understand what happened here. Having myself been diagnosed with a recurring brain Tumor and going through 2 surgeries. It seems strange that the woman was just discharched, without further consultation.

Surgery is normally just the first treatment. One would expect to go onto radio and chemotherapy after any surgical operation, no matter how successful the surgery was.

I don't know where, some are getting the idea that you can't get a 2nd opinion on the NHS as I have done so only last year when my tumour returned and was deemed inoperable.

reply to post by greencmp


Have you ever read The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance? ...Pertinent, methinks. Fyi, I've got stories that would make your hair curl - finally figured the good doctors' bs resulted from their desire to boost income from stocks in medical devices, and the "Everything's fine" dx was punishment when patients refused unnecessary stents. Can't prove the case in Canada but busted a California doctor back in the early 2000's. (He was turfed out of San Francisco, then resurfaced in Scripps in San Diego, pulling similar crap. Go figure.) Point being: Follow the money. Always. Even when it looks like the guy is just an incompetent hole.

spartacus699
reply to post by greencmp

 

the problem is that in situations like this, this is one of the few that got caught. You don't know how many fly under the radar.

I agree, there are very likely many uncounted victims yet to be discovered. Will we seek to find them?

I am not bringing this to public attention just to make everyone sad (though it does do that and for that I have regret). I am pointing out that the supposedly 'ideal' solution of single payer health care is not the panacea that many would believe it is. This is just the tip of the iceberg in our path and we are the titanic.

Can we turn the ship in time?