Probe on surgeon's 'blunders'

A "clumsy" surgeon only carried out half a vasectomy on a patient during a series of botched operations at Kidderminster Hospital, an inquiry has heard.

Bosses were so concerned at Mazin Abduljabbar Ismail's high blunder rate that they referred him to the General Medical Council after only three weeks in the job.

Iraqi Mr Ismail, who qualified in Baghdad in 1973, was then told to take a performance test but came last in a 'core knowledge' exam also taken by junior doctors.

Since last year he has been banned from surgery and the GMC is now deciding whether further action should be taken.

The hearing was told he was taken on as a locum staff grade or specialist registrar in urology at Kidderminster in March 2005.

But three out of six circumcisions carried out by Ismail resulted in post-operative complications.

Mr Ismail, of Shelsley Way, Solihull, was told to limit his work to minor procedures after the assessment. The doctor admits all of the assessors' findings, that he was a 'cause for concern' and 'slow and clumsy', but denies his fitness to practise is impaired.

The hearing continues.