Doctors fined, censured after abortion

Press, 9 March 1988, Page 9

Doctors fined, censured after abortion

Special Wellington correspondent Two Auckland doctork have been fined and censured after performing an abortion on a woman at the Auckland Medical Aid Centre who twice shouted "stop’' and tried to sit up during the operation.. The abortion was completed. Complaints of professional misconduct and : conduct unbecoming a medical practitioner against Dr Graham John , Desborough were upheld by the Medical Practition-' ers’ Disciplinary Commit- ■ tee.

Dr Alison Mary Riddell! was found guilty of conduct unbecoming a medi- 1 cal practitioner. Both Dr Riddell and Dr Desborough were certifying consultants at the clinic on September 18, 1986, the day the abortion was performed. Dr Desborough was also the operating surgeon that day. The committee heard that on that day. a pregnant woman with a history of anxiety depression returned to the clinic with

a referral for an abortion. The woman was married and .had three children. She again becamg pregnant after her husband had a successful vasectomy reversal — an operation both had wanted.

Th'e couple were religious. | and attended their local! church regularly. Early into her pregnancy, the woman's enthusiasm was replaced by intense and frequent bouts of depression, the committee heard. . She began secretly to seek) an abortion, and after seeing a general practitioner, was referred to the clinic. Her first appointment was kept, but an ) abortion not performed after the woman’s husband called the clinic and persuaded her to return home. Ope week later, she again returned alone to the Auckland Medical Aid Clinic with another referral. (After being examined by Dr Riddell and seeing a counsellor, she signed a consent form and was given a time later that day] for the operation. During the wait, the woman became consider-

ably more anxious and depressed, the committee heard. After seeing DriDesbor- j ough and indicating that ; she wished!to proceed she : went into theatre (and the operation began.] Mid - way through, she (became very distressed, called out j •‘Stop" and tried to sit up. The operation ( ceased, I and for the next hour and a half. the ) woman : wavered in making her i decision whether; to pro- ( ceed, becoming increas- ] ingly frantic.

A call came in to the clinic from her husband, telling her he (did not support an abortion and that he was on his way in to get her. The woman remained undecided.

Dr Desborough then | made what he called "a last desperate attempt" to get her to decide. He told her he would count from: 10 to zero and (then she would tell him what she wanted. After he did so, the woman still did not respond, so the equipment trolley was wheeled away. (I The woman became! suddenly ( hysterical ana refused to get off the! operating] table, making suggestions of suicide. She

then said that she did want an abortion and the operation resumed. When it was nearly complete, she again called out to stop, and sat up.

The woman was told that it was too late and that she must lie down or she would harm herself. The committee found that Dr Desborough's conduct in theatre towards the woman was insensitive and unacceptable in the circumstances. It said he failed in his professional responsibility to identify and respond to the patient's needs. Dr Desborough was fined $9OO plus costs, and censured. The committee found that Dr Riddell's treatment of the patient was cursory, and that she failed in her professional responsibility to recognise the patient’s over-all needs.

Dr Riddell was fined $5OO and costs, and censured. The committee also offered "constructive criticism” of the clinic, suggesting that procedure at the clinic could be better designed. y