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Thursday, 17 November 2005 10:24

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Anaesthetist struck off

A consultant anaesthetist was struck off the medical register yesterday for taking active measures to end the life of a patient against his family's wishes.

The General Medical Council ruled that Ann David, an intensive care specialist at Basildon hospital, Essex, did not explore all options before taking "active measures" to "prematurely" end the life of Robert Symons.

Mr Symons was admitted to intensive care at Basildon hospital on 22 January, 1999, suffering from a severe infection, but his condition quickly deteriorated.

The panel found that on 16 February, Dr David formed the view that he should be taken off a ventilator because he had no chance of survival.

His wife Edna, 66, and son Gary said they were "strongly opposed" to treatment being withdrawn when informed of her plans.

However within hours Dr David had given Mr Symons a high-dose of sedatives and taken him off the ventilator. He died 20 minutes later.

After the hearing Mr Symons' widow Edna said: "I'm relieved with today's decision. I feel justice has been done and I think she (Dr David) has got what she deserved”.

Mrs Symons, from Basildon, Essex said her family had been through "sheer hell" while her husband was in Basildon Hospital.

Mrs Symons said: "Everything went wrong that could go wrong, he was only in there for a few weeks but during that time he caught pneumonia, MRSA and was covered in bed sores.

"Just before his death he said to me 'Edna I will never trust another doctor'. It was one of the last things he ever said to me. I said 'don't worry I will sort it out' that was my promise and I wanted to keep it”.

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