Doctor found guilty of professional misconduct

A doctor has been found guilty of professional misconduct after an inquiry found several allegations to be proven, including that he had tried to use a scalpel to put a tube into a patient’s hand.

Dr Vincent Osunkwo was a senior house officer at the Midland Regional Hospital, Portlaoise from February to April 2009.

The Medical Council fitness-to-practise inquiry today found him guilty of professional misconduct in relation to eight allegations including attempting to read a c-spine X-ray upside down, not knowing if a pulse rate of 165 were high and informing a consultant that a patient had a benign prostate condition when he did not.

It found him guilty of poor professional performance in relation to three allegations including being unable to identify a nasal bone in an X-ray and an inability to diagnose a fungal nail.

Earlier today an expert witness told the inquiry that the doctor was a threat to patient safety.

Anthony Peel a consultant surgeon at the Royal Marsden Hospital, London was “almost speechless” on hearing the allegation that Dr Osunkwo did not know that a pulse of 165 was too high. This rate could have represented something life-threatening such as “cardiac arrhythmia”, he said.

Asked by the committee if he was a threat to patient safety, Mr Peel said “Yes”.

The allegation that Dr Osunkwo had attempted to read a c-spine X-ray upside-down could have had “very significant” results and was “very serious” Mr Peel said. He did not know the details of the patient but in some circumstances such as a rugby player it could have resulted in a patient becoming paraplegic, he said.

An allegation of attempting cannulate the patient by using a scalpel to cut their hand was described as “absolutely incompetent” and something Mr Peel had not seen attempted “in years”. It would not be used on a stable patient but in the case of resuscitation, Mr Peel said.

Dr Osunkwo worked at the Portlaoise hospital from February to April 2009. After complaints were made against the Nigerian-qualified doctor he was removed from clinical duty and allowed only to shadow other doctors. He has since returned to Nigeria and did not attend today's hearing. Via email, he accused the Medical Council of "borderline character assassination".