A disgraced surgeon was today (Fri) kicked out of
A disgraced surgeon was today (Fri) kicked out of the medical profession after a series of blunders during hysterectomy and circumcision operations.
Peter Silverstone, 58, left two baby boys in agony after failing to anaesthetise their genitals properly, the General Medical Council heard.
He also endangered the safety of two women by leaving them in the care of nurses following surgery.
Silverstone denied any wrongdoing, claiming the women were private patients and procedures were different for them.
But he was found guilty of serious professional misconduct today (Fri) and was struck off the medical register.
Conduct committee chairman Dr Jo Trowel said Silverstone had acted inadequately and irresponsibly after performing the hysterectomies because both women suffered life-threatening blood loss and he was not there to treat them.
Dr Trowel said: ‘You fell seriously short of the standard expected.
One woman was left without appropriate medical care for almost six hours.
‘This was grossly inadequate and left her life threatened.
‘You have failed to take account of these very grave failings in your clinical practices and your behaviour was a gross departure from professional standards.
‘You failed to make the care of your patients your first concern and your behaviour is incompatible with continuing as a practicing doctor.
‘
The GMC had heard Silverstone performed circumcisions on boys aged six months and seven months at a surgery in Dipton, Tyne and Wear in 1998.
Both babies screamed in pain during the operations because he failed to numb their genitalia properly.
One boy cried every time his nappy was changed for days and the other bled for hours after the operation until Silverstone visited the family home and gave him two stitches.
The hearing was also told of the two hysterectomies he performed at the BUPA hospital in Picktree Lane Rickleton, Washington, Tyne and Wear.
After the first operation on November 1995 Silverstone went home but was called back to the hospital when the 46-year-old woman suffered internal bleeding.
But the surgeon got caught in traffic and the 25 minute journey took him over an hour.
The second incident happened in November 1998 when he operated on 32-year-old woman with a history of gynaecological problems.
Despite her history, Silverstone asked a medical student to assist him in theatre and handed the patients’ care over to a college at another hospital when he went on leave the following day.
Silverstone was found to have abused his professional position in relation to the circumcisions and to have acted inappropriately and incompetently.
It was ruled his treatment of both women was inadequate and irresponsible.
Silverstone of Elmfield Park, Newcastle, has since retired from gynaecological surgery.
His last job was assessing incapacity benefit claimants in Burnley.
The shamed surgeon, looked uninterested and shuffled his feet loudly as the judgement was read.
ends
mmmm
