Kidney blunder doctors suspended for a year

Two doctors who wrongly removed a patient's only functioning kidney were found guilty of serious professional misconduct and suspended for 12 months by the General Medical Council yesterday.

John Roberts, 61, who supervised the procedure, and Mahesh Goel, 41, a consultant urologist, removed John Reeve's good left kidney at the Prince Philip Hospital in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, on 24 January 2000. Mr Reeves, 69, from Burry Port, south Wales died five weeks later. Both doctors denied the serious professional misconduct charges. But Dr Chitra Bharucha, who chaired the committee, told Mr Roberts: "Your conduct was unprofessional, incompetent and detrimental to the health and welfare of the patient."

The pair were found not guilty of manslaughter under the judge's direction at Cardiff Crown Court in June 2002.