Surgeon dismissed after NHS inquiry

A surgeon accused of bungling operations on dozens of patients was dismissed by his hospital trust last night.

A surgeon accused of bungling operations on dozens of patients was dismissed by his hospital trust last night.

Christopher Ingoldby, 52, has been suspended from Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield since January 1998 after an inquest jury returned a verdict of misadventure on the death of a cancer patient in his care.

In 1998 Mr Ingoldby won a High Court injunction to block publication of an independent NHS inquiry into his performance. A second independent inquiry, commissioned by the Pinderfields and Pontefract NHS Trust and conducted by the NHS Executive, reported back yesterday.

In a statement the trust said: "The board of the trust has today decided to dismiss without notice consultant surgeon Christopher Ingoldby. Thedecision is in line with the recommendation of the independent panel, which concluded that 'serious acts of misconduct and misjudgement justified dismissal without notice'."

Mr Ingoldby now faces disciplinary action by the General Medical Council (GMC) and claims for compensation from dozens of former patients. The trust said it had received 84 complaints against the gastro-intestinal surgeon, 30 of which had been settled. The complaints, covering the period 1989 to 1997, include the deaths of 14 patients.

Mr Ingoldby, from Roundhay, Leeds, has consistently denied the accusations against him.

A statement released by the Medical Protection Society on behalf of the surgeon said hewould now consult his advisers with a view to an immediate appeal.

The inquiry report will be passed to the GMC, which is expected to start proceedings against the surgeon. The GMC said it had been unable to instigate disciplinary procedures against Mr Ingoldby until the independent review had finished and reached conclusions.