Tribunal told of GP's repetitive mistakes'

Dr Suresh Vatsyayann allegedly failed to diagnose a woman's cancer. Photo / Chirstine Cornege

Dr Suresh Vatsyayann allegedly failed to diagnose a woman's cancer. PICTURE / CHRISTINE CORNEGE

A Hamilton doctor accused of misdiagnosing a woman's bowel cancer has had his methods slammed as "an extremely serious departure" from accepted medical standards.

Dr Suresh Vatsyayann, who was struck off the medical register last month for falsifying records and allowing his untrained wife to perform medical procedures on patients, is defending allegations against him at a Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal in Hamilton that he failed to diagnose a woman's bowel cancer.

A Health and Disability Commissioner investigation found he had breached the Code of Patients' Rights by failing to make the proper investigations with his patient.

The woman, who has name suppression, was diagnosed with iron-deficiency anaemia and gastritis, but another GP later arranged tests that revealed tumours in her large intestine and liver.

The prosecution's expert medical witness, Dr Gerald Young, said Dr Vatsyayann's failures to diagnose the cause of her iron deficiency and his failure to properly monitor and manage her treatment were "an extremely serious departure from accepted professional standards".

The tribunal also heard how Dr Vatsyayann diagnosed the woman with gastritis without performing an abdominal examination and how he missed on numerous occasions the opportunity to appropriately diagnose the woman's underlying condition.

"Of particular concern is the repetitive nature of the mistakes he made in the course of caring for [the woman] over what was an extended period," said Dr Young.

"Exacerbating the situation is the fact that the actions expected of him in this situation but which he failed to deliver are fundamental and elementary to the practice of good medicine."

The woman's brother told the tribunal that he took his sister to Dr Vatsyayann in November 2008 worried by her increasing tiredness.

He said Dr Vatsyayann did not physically examine her but recommended doubling her intake of iron pills to increase her energy to counter her anaemia.

She was taken by ambulance to another Hamilton GP, who noticed her liver area was extended and that she had pain in her abdomen.

The woman was referred to Waikato Hospital, where it was revealed that she had widespread cancer in her liver. She had chemotherapy but died late last year.

Aaron Martin, Director of Proceedings at the commissioner's office, said that after a consultation with Dr Vatsyayann in November 2007, the woman became "significantly anaemic" and the GP should have been alerted to the possibility of internal bleeding.

But he said Dr Vatsyayann failed to adequately respond to the situation over the following 12 months.

The tribunal heard how the woman consulted Dr Vatsyayann 15 times in that period and never had an abdominal examination.