Ayr doctor who removed healthy kidney won't be struck off

Mar 5 2010 by Lisa Boyle, Ayrshire Post (main ed)

A DOCTOR who removed a patient’s healthy kidney won’t be struck off.

Rizat Murat Gurun was under investigation by the General Medical Council over the major 2006 blunder.

But it said a combination of factors led to the mistake. It heard pre-operative scans had wrongly identified a cancerous tumour in the right kidney, instead of the left.

Patient John Heron (referred to as JH) now faces a lifetime of dialysis following the operation in Ayr Hospital.

The GMC ruled that the surgeon’s fitness to practice was not impaired.

It said any likelihood of recurrence of similar misconduct was highly unlikely.

The panel acknowledged that Mr Gurun had admitted his error and never blamed others or system failures for the mistake.

It concluded that the surgeon was guilty of misconduct but that his ability to practise was not impaired.

The determination said: “The panel is satisfied that your decision to proceed with the operation was more than mere negligence.

“Accordingly, it regards this as an act of misconduct.”

The GMC panel also highlighted the fact that the surgeon had tried to get the best care for his patient following the error.

It said: “You took immediate steps to try and help JH, seeking to get the very best care for the patient by facilitating referral to a specialist centre in London. You were prompt and honest with JH’s family and you had the patient’s care as your primary concern.”

The GMC said that as the surgeon has had no complaints after a supervised return to work, it was not necessary to place a warning on his registration.

It concluded: “The panel sees any likelihood of recurrence of similar misconduct highly unlikely because of the clear impact that your error has already had upon your professional practices.”

Mr Gurun is still working within Ayrshire and Arran health board.

Bob Masterton, executive medical director, said: “Following a successful retraining and mentoring programme, Mr Gurun has returned to work as a consultant urologist with NHS Ayrshire and Arran.”