Surgeon who carried out hundreds of 'unnecessary' mesh operations in Bristol is suspended
A surgeon who carried out hundreds of “unnecessary” mesh operations has apologised to his patients after being suspended.
A tribunal has today (18 July) ruled that Antony Dixon failed to provide adequate clinical care and ruled he cannot practice medicine for six months.
Mr Dixon pioneered a controversial type of mesh surgery. Hundreds of his patients have previously come forward to claim they suffered agonising side effects after he operated on them at Spire Hospital Bristol and Southmead Hospital, also in Bristol.
A review carried out by North Bristol NHS Trust in 2022 found that more than 200 patients had been given unnecessary bowel operations by Mr Dixon.
A Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) panel, looking at the care received by five patients, ruled he had made inappropriate comments during consultations.
It also deemed that Mr Dixon failed to adequately outline treatment options in a consultation with one patient and that a choice of no treatment was not discussed.
Another woman, known as Patient G, underwent a procedure that was not clinically indicated and he did not record obtaining her informed consent for the operation.
The panel heard Mr Dixon’s fitness to practise is impaired by reason of misconduct and he was suspended for six months.
Following the conclusion of the hearing, Mr Dixon released a lengthy statement apologising to his patients and promising to better himself in the future.
He said: “I have accepted the findings of misconduct made against me by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal and I will use the six-month period suspension of my medical registration to reflect on them.
“I would like to start by acknowledging how difficult it must have been for these former patients of mine to come forward and go through what will have been for them a difficult seven-year process dealing with matters going back almost 13-and-a-half years.
“Hearing about their suffering was very difficult and, as the tribunal noted, has had a salutary effect on me.
“I hope that they will accept that, despite my wrongdoing, my only wish was to make them better.
“I considered that I was acting in my patients’ best interests, as the tribunal have accepted.
“I have only ever wanted to seek to achieve the best outcome with my operations.
“I am very sorry and deeply regret the misconduct described by the tribunal and the consequences they have had on everyone.
“I understand that an apology alone does not begin to diminish the harm caused, but I am committed to learning from my mistakes and to maintaining genuine changes.
“It is my utmost priority to regain people’s trust and to continue working towards becoming once again the ethical and trustworthy doctor that every patient deserves and one that I was previously recognised for.
“The tribunal has accepted the many supportive testimonials received from numerous patients of mine as well as my former colleagues (some of whom – or their family members – also having been patients of mine), attesting to my skills as a surgeon, including in keyhole surgery.
“I have been honoured by colleagues wanting me to perform surgery on them or on their nearest and dearest.
“Going forward, I would like to continue to prove that I am someone who acts in the best interest of patients in a collaborative way and whom the public can trust – as I have done for the vast majority of my patients over many years as a surgeon.”
MPTS tribunal chair Emma Boothroyd said Mr Dixon’s failure to obtain informed consent from four patients amounted to “serious misconduct”.
She said: “The psychological impact on these patients was significant and may have exacerbated the physical symptoms they experienced following the surgery.”
Lawyers for Mr Dixon had told the hearing that the consultant had not set out to do anything other than give his best to the patients and he had recognised where he went wrong.
Tim Whittlestone, Chief Medical Officer at North Bristol NHS Trust, said: “Mr Dixon was dismissed in 2019. We have carried out a thorough and robust review of affected patients, and would like to reiterate our apology to all of these individuals.
“We note the outcome of the recent Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) hearing.”
A spokesperson for the Spire Hospital added: “We apologise to all patients whose care with Mr Dixon fell below the standards that should have been provided at Spire Bristol Hospital.
“We suspended Mr Dixon in 2017, and he has not practised in our hospitals since then. We also referred Mr Dixon to the GMC and worked closely with the GMC in its investigations.
“We and the local NHS Trust have worked together to review the care of patients treated by Mr Dixon at the NHS Trust and at Spire, and to provide support to those patients.
“If any Spire Bristol patients have concerns about their care under Mr Dixon, they should call our dedicated helpline on 0800 783 8163 or email bristolhosphelpline@spirehealthcare.com.”
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