A blood specialist accused of risking the life of

A blood specialist accused of risking the life of a pensioner with an experimental drug admitted he was guilty of ‘wishful thinking’ today (WED).

Cambridge University lecturer John Rees said he wanted to give Charles Topley a better quality of life.

But the 74-year-old collapsed on the third day of his Anti-lymphocyte Globulin Treatment (ALG) and died three weeks later.

Rees had never used the drug before and failed to take the right safety precautions at the West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmonds.

The consultant haematologist has since accepted the treatment may have shortened the patient’s life.

Mr Topley, who suffered from the blood disorder Myelodysplastic Syndrome, was given his first transfusion of ALG over four hours on August 23, 1999.

Rees, who works at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, said he had read a report on the drug’s successful trial for MDS and thought it could help.

‘Mr Topley’s disease was probably progressing quite quickly and I realised that if we were to do anything, this was something worth exploring.

‘I thought it would give Mr Topley a good chance of reversing the process.

‘

He said he rang up the professor involved in the US trial to ask for advice.

‘I told him I was impressed that the treatment could be given as an outpatient.

‘He said that it had not been the practice but that it might be possible in the future.

‘It was wishful thinking on my part that it could be given as an outpatient and allow Mr Topley to have a better quality of life in the short term and if the ALG worked, in the long term as well.

‘

Rees said he thought Mr Topley had a life expectancy of only six months to a year.

An expert has told the hearing that it was ‘extremely dangerous’ to use ALG on patients who were not staying in hospital.

The drug was given over four hours when other trials were using it over 12 hours or more, it is claimed.

Rees, of 14 Babraham Road, Cambridge, denies his treatment was unprofessional, inappropriate and failed to pay proper regard to the safety of his patient.

He further denies serious professional misconduct.

The hearing continues.

ends

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