London, January 12: A doctor in the United Kingdom has been removed from the country's medical register for branding patients' livers with his initials. Dr Simon Bramhall used an argon beam machine to draw his initials on transplanted livers during two surgeries. The incidents took place in February and August 2013 when Bramhall was performing surgery at Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital. TMCH Doctor Suspended for Misbehaving with Women Interns.

The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) was reviewing the case. According to a report published in BBC News, the MPTS said that "act borne out of a degree of professional arrogance". It further added that the actions of the doctor "undermined" public trust in the profession. Norman Barwin, Canadian Fertility Doctor Accused of Impregnating Women With His Sperm Through IVF, Agrees to $10 Million Payout.

The matter surfaced after one of the two patients on whom Bramhall had performed a liver transplant suffered a failure. Another doctor who operated found Bramhall's initials drawn about 4 cm tall on the liver. Notably, Bramhall resigned from his job at the Birmingham hospital in 2014. In December 2017, he admitted to two counts of assault by beating at Birmingham Crown Court. The surgeon was fined £10,000 the next year.

In December 2020, Bramhall was suspended from the profession for five months. However, the latest tribunal in the case took place on Monday, January 10. A report revealed findings from a review hearing on June 4, 2021. In the report, it was determined that the surgeon's fitness to practice was no longer impaired by reason of his criminal convictions and suggested that the suspension order to be revoked.

The General Medical Council (GMC) also appealed against the suspension decision. The matter was then submitted to MPTS. As per the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service, although no physical damage was caused to either patient, but Bramhall's actions had caused emotional harm to one of the patients.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 12, 2022 09:13 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).