Anaesthetist struck off for death of five-year-old girl

An anaesthetist was struck off the medical register yesterday for his "dangerous" treatment of a five-year-old girl who died after an operation to remove a milk tooth.

Dr George Vanner, 68, was found by the General Medical Council to have behaved arrogantly and sloppily when Karla Selley developed problems in a Lancashire dental surgery three years ago.

A GMC committee found Dr Vanner, of Preston, Lancashire, guilty of serious professional misconduct. It said that "all" of Dr Vanner's actions had been unprofessional and inappropriate.

Karla died in hospital after a routine operation at the Towngate dental surgery in Leyland, Lancashire, in August 1999. During the procedure, Dr Vanner placed a mask over Karla's face because she had reacted violently to being injected on a previous visit. Her tooth was extracted without any problems but when the doctor tried to carry her to the recovery area, she began to struggle and turn grey.

Dr Vanner tried to bring her around by rubbing her ear and chest and gave her an oxygen mask, but she remained unconscious and her pulse rate dropped. Next, he gave the girl a thump on the chest and a cardiac massage before deciding to shock her with a defibrillator. The automatic defibrillator was on an adult setting ­ five times the shock Karla needed.

Paramedics were called and noticed Dr Vanner struggling to find a vein in Karla's arm. They secured an intravenous drip to her neck but she died in Chorley district general hospital later that day.

A post-mortem examination concluded that the cause of death was an obstruction of the airway caused by blood, mucus and debris from a tooth extraction. Dr Vanner, who has now retired, and the dentist, Michael Lane, were cleared of manslaughter at Preston Crown Court last year when it was thought Karla might have died from a heart abnormality.

At the committee hearing in central London, Dr Vanner's conduct was described as dangerous and complacent. Vivian Robinson QC, for the GMC, had described the anaesthetist's approach as shambolic.

Dr Vanner "displayed a lack of insight into the serious deficiencies in his knowledge and skills which [the committee] found dangerous and woeful". It found he failed to ensure that anaesthetic and monitoring equipment was of the right standard, to ensure the presence of a dedicated assistant, to monitor his patient properly and to administer suction within Karla's mouth when she experienced breathing difficulties, and that he delayed the use of a defibrillator.