Independent inquiry ordered into thoracic surgeon

The health secretary, Frank Dobson, has ordered an independent inquiry into concerns raised by Channel 4 News about the training and qualifications of a consultant thoracic surgeon.

Channel 4 claimed that Joseph Rahamim, a consultant at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth, was the only consultant thoracic surgeon in the country without accreditation and with no postgraduate surgical qualification.

Mr Rahamim, aged 50, who came to Britain in 1973 after qualifying in Iraq, has worked for 20 years as a chest surgeon in Plymouth, the past six as a consultant. He is the only thoracic surgeon in the city.

Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust has completed a preliminary internal investigation by the medical director and the chairman of the hospital medical staff committee. As the BMJ went to press, the report was about to be considered by the trust board and was expected to go to the Department of Health on Wednesday.

The trust said that Mr Rahamim had not been suspended but was on leave last week. He returned to work this week, but a spokeswoman said that he had no operations scheduled for the early part of the week.

The trust's chief executive, Arthur Wilson, said: “Mr Rahamim has worked in Plymouth for the past 20 years, and his colleagues speak very highly of him. The [internal inquiry] panel has checkeddata relating to the reported outcomes of Mr Rahamim's operations in recent years and, after consideration by an independent expert, can confirm that his postoperative mortality rates are within the normal range.”

The Department of Health's review of the trust's thoracic surgery services was set up after representations by the Plymouth MPs, Linda Gilroy and David Jamieson. When the review was announced, the department said: “The review of lay and expert members will report to Mr Dobson and the General Medical Council. Mr Rahamim will not be returning to work until the trust decides what his future duties should be.”

Channel 4 also claimed that Mr Rahamim used the letters FRCS after his name in letters to GPs. The trust said that this was a secretarial error.

The trust insists that it was well aware that Mr Rahamim, who was appointed in 1992, had not completed the training in approved posts required for accreditation and had no postgraduate qualification. This was not a barrier to the appointment at the time.

Channel 4 also produced medical evidence given on Mr Rahamim's behalf in a High Court action in which he won damages for a whiplash injury sustained in a car accident seven years ago. This stated that two fingers of his left hand had been left numb and that he was moody,irritable, and depressed and would probably have to give up operating. The trust said that he had been seen by its occupational health consultant and had been examined by an independent specialistin London. Both believed that he was medically fit to practise.

For the latest developments on this story see the BMJ's website (www.bmj.com).