Surgeon accused of punching patient to correct fracture

A prominent facial surgeon has been accused of "repeatedly punching" a patient's face in a bid to try and correct his fracture.

The incident occurred when Professor Ninian Peckitt, 63, was called to treat a patient at the Ipswich hospital in February 2012, where he was employed as a locum consultant in oral and maxillo-facial surgery.

The patient had suffered a fracture from an industrial accident in 2012 and had "extensive injuries" on the right side of his face that required attention.

According to the General Medical Council (GMC), the case is based on the alleged method of surgery used by the surgeon.

Christopher Hamlet who is representing the GMC said, reported The Telegraph: "The GMC's case is not centred around the performance or the outcome, but the method of the surgery by way of the extraordinary allegation from witnesses that he repeatedly punched the patient in the face.

"Patient A had fell out of bed which displaced facial fractures and there was a second procedure to address these which Mr Peckitt describes as digitally manipulated as best they could be achieved.

"There is an acceptance this was not open surgery but an effort to reduce the fracture by the use of hand, but plainly not an acceptance of a punch or repeated punches as GMC witnesses will say."

Professor Peckitt who is not attending the hearings risks being taken off the medical register if found guilty at the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service hearing in Manchester.

He "emphatically denies" all the allegations and says he is being driven into the case due to being a whistleblower.

"In a nutshell, the doctor considers he has been rather victimised by the Trust as a whistle-blower. His response misses the point about the particular allegations that are being levelled against him. He is responding to what he considers a vexatious complaint against him," said Hamlet.

Referring to an analysis by Dr. Timothy Mellor, an expert who was called on behalf of the GMC, Hamlet said: "He confirmed in relation to Patient A that it is entirely inappropriate to try to reduce a fracture with external force alone or whether the punch was additional manipulation - there is no basis you can reduce a fracture in that nature.

"He also expressed concern that he had gone through such complex surgery while unmanaged."

Prof. Peckitt is presently employed as a consultant surgeon in Dubai.

The hearing is expected to conclude next week.