Transplant surgeon burned his initials onto patients’ livers

A transplant surgeon who burned his initials onto patients’ livers has been struck off the medical register.
Consultant surgeon Simon Bramhall had used an argon beam machine to burn his initials onto patients’ livers while he was operating on them. He had branded two patients during his time as a transplant surgeon at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.
In 2017 he admitted two charges of assault at Birmingham Crown Court. The surgeon was later fined £10,000 and he was also given a community order.
The matter has finally been reviewed by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS). The tribunal concluded on Tuesday that the surgeon should be removed from the medical register. The tribunal believes that Bramhall was professionally arrogant.
The tribunal concluded with the following findings: “The Tribunal, having concluded that a suspension order would be insufficient to protect the wider public interest, determined that the appropriate and proportionate sanction is erasure.
“The physical assault of two vulnerable patients whilst unconscious in a clinical setting, one of whom experienced significant and enduring emotional harm, seriously undermines patients’ and the public’s trust and confidence in the medical profession and inevitably brings the profession as a whole into disrepute.
“Mr Bramhall abused his position of trust and during the short period it took for him to mark his initials he placed his own interests above the interests of his patients.
“However, in the circumstances of this case, the short time it took to mark the patients’ livers, and the overall context of providing life-saving care do not mitigate Mr Bramhall’s gross violation of his patient’s dignity and autonomy.”
The tribunal conclusion added: “There is no indication before the Tribunal that this is a deep-seated attitudinal failing, but it occurred on two separate occasions within a six month period in the presence of others and Mr Bramhall did not initially recognise the magnitude of his criminal behaviour even when questioned.
“In these circumstances, the Tribunal concluded that the only proportionate sanction is erasure.
“The Tribunal has therefore directed that Mr Bramhall’s name be erased from the Medical Register.”


Thank you for taking the time to read this article, do remember to come back and check The Euro Weekly News website for all your up-to-date local and international news stories and remember, you can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Alex
Written by

Alex Glenn

Originally from the UK, Alex is based in Almeria and is a web reporter for The Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com.

Comments