NURSE SUSPENDED AFTER 'TAKING OUT MAN'S APPENDIX'

A doctor has been sent on leave while an inquiry is conducted at a Cornish hospital after allegations that a theatre nurse conducted an appendix operation two weeks ago.

It is alleged that Sister Valerie Tomlinson, an experienced nurse, removed a male patient's appendix. He has made a full recovery and Sister Tomlinson has been suspended.

The incident happened at Treliske Hospital, Truro. Commenting on it, Dr Brian Milstead, chief executive of the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust, said yesterday: "We have never come across an allegation of this nature before."

Sister Tomlinson is alleged to have started the surgery when a locum registrar, Tahir Bhatti, left the operating theatre. Mr Bhatti is said to have returned to oversee the operation.

Mr Bhatti went on paid leave yesterday. His employers, the South and West Regional Health Authority, had originally said that Mr Bhatti was to carry on his duties as normal.

A later statement said: "In the present circumstances and because of the difficulties involved in Mr Bhatti carrying out his present duties at Treliske Hospital it has been agreed that Mr Bhatti takes paid leave of absence from today for the duration of the current investigation.

However Dr Milstead said Mr Bhatti was "fully involved" and was in the theatre during the whole of the procedure.

But the health chief would not say who did what in the operating theatre, and added: "The details of exactly what happened are why we have established a very thorough investigation."

Dr Milstead continued: "We are obviously concerned at the serious nature of the allegations. We need to get the facts as quickly as possible.

"If the allegations are proven and found to true I will be extremely surprised. There are very clear protocols and guidelines."

Health unions are demanding a public inquiry into the incident. Trevor Parsons, regional officer for Unison, said: "She is alleged to have actually made an incision, taken the appendix out and sewn up the patient."

Details of the incident are thought to have come to light after a member of the team made a written complaint.

The trust said in a statement: "We are currently carrying out a full investigation into allegations of an appendix operation in one of our theatres at Treliske Hospital." It is expected to last ten days.

A Royal College of Nursing spokeswoman said: "We would not want patients all round the country to get the idea there were have-a-go nurses going around trying out operations."

Sir Norman Browse, president of the Royal College of Surgeons, said that the whole area of health workers, who are not doctors, performing invasive procedures was causing real concern.

"There is confusion in the law, but our position is that all surgery should be conducted by someone medically qualified or by a supervised assistant," he added.

In the UK a select group of about ten nurses do conduct surgery following training and strict protocols. They are called surgeons' assistants.

The rules laid down by the Royal College of Surgeons and approved by the Department of Health stipulate the surgery must be supervised, performed in the presence of a consultant and that the patient must have given prior consent. Approval was also given by the British Medical Association and the Medical Defence Union.

Stephen Westaby, consultant cardiac surgeon at the Oxford Heart Centre,Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, who has pioneered the training of nurses in this country said: "On the whole an appendectomy is not difficult. You learn how to do it partly by watching."