String of mistakes by doctor at sick children hospital in Edinburgh

Posted: October 4, 2013

Posted in: Medical Negligence 

Concerns have been raised over the work of a senior doctor at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh, after a series of errors resulted in the poor treatment of three children at the hospital. Dr Kiran Patwardhan was a consultant at the hospital when a 15-month-old baby came in with scolds to the face and neck. When attempting to treat the baby, Dr Patwardhan’s made a series of errors, which almost resulted in the baby’s death.

Dr Patwardhan admitted to the string of mistakes that he has been held accountable for, regarding the treatment of three children, yet he continues to deny many of the factual elements of the allegations. The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service heard that Dr Patwardhan gave a junior doctor permission to remove a patient’s breathing tube, and then he continued to make numerous medical errors when things went wrong. The tribunal also heard that a colleague had to take over the situation, and luckily the child was unharmed.

“A number of common features”

Two similar incidents occurred in 2011, when Dr Parwardhan made numerous errors when changing the breathing tube of a five-year-old child in June; and again in August, a child’s oxygen level was allowed to drop very rapidly when he assisted the transfer of the patient in an ambulance. Dr Gale Pearson, a specialist in paediatric intensive care, said: “There are a number of common features to the three cases”.

The hearing is due to continue as Dr Parwardhan still disputes many elements of the allegations against his practice.

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