Surgeon weeps at hepatitis hearing

A SURGEON infected with Hepatitis B who fatally infected a patient when he accidentally cut himself with a scalpel during an operation, yesterday broke down as he faced allegations of serious professional misconduct.

Sanjay Ingley was giving evidence to the General Medical Council about the death of Blodwyn Jenkins, 83, who died four months after he carried out her hip replacement operation in July last year.

Mr Ingley, 32, is accused of carrying on with the operation despite the fact that his wound was still bleeding. He is also charged with failing to fill in an accident form to tell the Ysbyty Gwynedd hospital, Bangor, north Wales, about what had happened.

The surgeon found out that he had Hepatitis B only when he arrived in Britain from India in 1994. Tests revealed he was a low-risk carrier and he was allowed to continue operating.

On 13 July he carried out a hip replacement operation on Mrs Jenkins. At the beginning of the operation, he cut his index finger of his left hand on a scalpel. "I thought saw that I had pricked myself on my finger and there was some blood," he said.

A nurse gave him antiseptic to clean it and he put on a plaster before replacing his glove and continuing. His evidence contradicts that of theatre staff who said on Monday that they saw blood "oozing" from the wound.

The surgeon, who does not face any criminal charges relating to the matter, wept as he said: "I was arrested by police on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter."

The hearing was adjourned until today.