Oral surgeon censured

An oral surgeon has admitted one of his patients was forced to undergo surgery and radiotherapy because he failed to follow up on his cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Dr Peter Liston has been censured by the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal following a professional misconduct hearing in Whanganui.

Liston, who is from New Plymouth and provides oral and maxillofacial surgery services in Taranaki and Whanganui, admitted charges which arose from the care of a patient who developed invasive tongue cancer after delays in diagnosis of a lesion and referral for specialist treatment, due to biopsy results being misread. The charges cover the period from December 2011 to November 2013.

The patient, Keith Hindson of Whanganui, required extensive surgery and post-operative radiotherapy which could have been avoided.

As well as admitting three charges of failure to recommend and/or provide appropriate treatment, Liston admitted failing to obtain his patient’s informed consent to treatment and failing to keep proper notes of his consultations with Hindson.

At the beginning of the second day of the hearing yesterday, Liston apologised to Hindson.

Tribunal chairman David Carden said the tribunal had significant concern for Hindson’s predicament.

“Nothing from the outcome of this hearing in any way minimises those consequences,” Carden said.

The tribunal ordered that a permanent censure be placed on Liston’s record. A fine of $5000 was imposed and Liston must pay $21,000 (30 per cent) toward costs of the hearing.