London, England — A British surgeon accused of carrying out an abortion on a woman without her consent has been given a severe reprimand by the General Medical Council (GMC).
Consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist Reginald Dixon was found guilty of serious professional misconduct. However, he was not struck off the medical register.
Dixon, 65, discovered college lecturer Barbara Whiten was pregnant when he carried out a hysterectomy on her at the King's Mill Hospital in Nottinghamshire in 1993 and performed an abortion on her.
Earlier last month, the GMC ruled the surgeon, who is already retired, had failed to ensure the woman had given her “informed consent” to the abortion.
Its professional conduct committee found Dixon failed to provide appropriate supervision to his junior staff, and did not ensure that Whiten was properly informed.
Giving the GMC's ruling, committee chairwoman Dr Chitra Bharucha said the surgeon's conduct fell “seriously below the standard to be expected”.
She told Mr Dixon: “You failed to take adequate steps to ensure that the standards were observed. You have admitted that you did not examine the patient, or consult with her until the day of the operation.”
“You performed a major operation, acting on erroneous assumptions, relying on information, some of which you knew to be inaccurate.”
She added: “On the basis of the facts which you have admitted and those the committee has proven, they find you guilty of serious professional misconduct.”
Dr Bharucha said the committee wanted to make it clear “that they do not underestimate for one moment the grave consequences that the complainant has suffered as a result of your actions”.
But she said as the incident happened in 1993 and as it was “an isolated incident in a previously unblemished career” the committee felt the severe reprimand was suitable punishment.
The committee acknowledged that “limited resources, pressures of time and omissions on the part of junior doctors” had played a part in Dixon's actions.
Dr Bharucha said: “The committee expects that stringent measures will be taken in all hospitals to ensure that consent of patients is fully informed and based on accurate information.”
Whiten said she was “absolutely delighted” with the outcome.
She said: “I'm over the moon about the fact that he has been found guilty and that a message has gone out to all the other surgeons and doctors that they have to treat their patients properly.
“I thought the GMC statement was very fair,” she said.
Dixon, who declined the comment after the ruling, was cleared in 1995 of unlawfully procuring an abortion at Nottingham Crown Court.
The surgeon had told the committee that he made the decision to continue with the hysterectomy even though he realized the patient may be pregnant because he thought it was in her best interests.
Representing Dixon, Alan Jenkins told the committee that the surgeon had only intended to do what was best for his patient.
He said: “Mr Dixon did what he honestly believed was in this woman's best interests and it has turned out that what he did was inappropriate.”
The lawyer had stressed that Mr Dixon had an otherwise impeccable record and had been very well liked, highly respected and trusted by his colleagues and patients for more than 30 years.
(This article courtesy of Steven Ertelt and the Pro-Life Infonet email newsletter. For more information or to subscribe go to www.prolifeinfo.org or email infonet@prolifeinfo.org.)
