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A General Medical Council panel has ruled that a surgeon accused of botching six women’s breast operations can continue to practise.
The medical watchdog allowed consultant Brian Gwynn to keep working despite being found guilty of serious professional misconduct in his treatment of three patients.
One of the patients, who had breast reconstructive surgery carried out by Mr Gwynn at Staffordshire General Hospital in 2001, was left with a hole in her stomach.
Mr Gwynn had “insufficient skill, knowledge and experience” to perform the operation and did not ensure adequate postoperative monitoring, the Fitness to Practise panel.
It also said Mr Gwynn’s failure to treat a haematoma during and after the operation of a second woman, who was left with misshapen breasts, was “unacceptable”.
A third woman who was not informed she was at high risk of complications had problems following surgery by Mr Gwynn on her nipple.
Complaints about the care of three other women he treated between 2000 and 2003 were not upheld.
The panel ruled that his fitness to practise was not impaired and said Mr Gwynn had acknowledged the errors he had made and learned a salutary lesson from the proceedings which followed.
Copyright Press Association 2008
