Surgeon put hospital patients at risk as his English was so poor
COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN
A HEART surgeon working at a Hull hospital put patients at risk because his English was so poor.
Concerns were raised about Dr Kestutis Salcius, originally from Lithuania, who struggled to communicate with colleagues at Castle Hill Hospital.
An investigation found Dr Salcius’s inability to communicate in English “caused confusion and, in some cases, a complete breakdown of communication.
“This had also led to a risk to patient safety,” an official report found.
Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals Trust, now Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, had ordered Dr Salcius to undergo an English language test during his employment there between 2018-19.
However, he failed to take the test and the trust dismissed him for gross misconduct. He was referred to the General Medical Council over fears he may try and find work at another UK hospital. A Medical Practitioners’ Tribunal (MPT) non-compliance hearing on December 20, 2019 found Dr Salcius had failed to comply with the GMC direction to undergo an English language test.
In an MPT background report it says: “On January 4, 2019 Christopher Shaw, joint medical director for surgery at Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals Trust contacted the GMC in relation to Dr Salcius.
“He stated that on December 19, 2018 he had been the chair of a disciplinary panel which considered evidence relating to serious concern about Dr Salcius’ ability to communicate in English with fellow staff. Mr Shaw stated this had raised concerns for the safety of patients.
“Mr Shaw further stated that concerns regarding Dr Salcius’ ability to communicate in English had first come to light in July 2018.
“In October 2018 Dr Salcius was suspended by the trust pending an investigation into those concerns.
“Dr Salcius had stated he was working on his English. He also told the investigation his communication difficulties had arisen as a result of the differences in UK hospital procedure.
“The disciplinary panel determined to dismiss Dr Salcius for gross misconduct and to escalate this matter to the GMC as the trust was concerned that Dr Salcius may take up employment in another UK hospital.”
The GMC wrote to Dr Salcius on January 18, 2019 to inform him to undergo a language assessment. Dr Salcius told the GMC he had moved to Lithuania was not going to attend the tribunal.
The Interim Orders Tribunal suspended Dr Salcius’ registration for a period of 15 months on the grounds of public protection and in the public interest. The GMC received an email from Dr Tayyab Haider, consultant physician and medical at Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Dr Haider said Dr Salcius had been employed by the Basildon and Thurrock Trust as a clinical fellow in cardio-thoracic surgery from February 2017 to April 2018, but the trust had been unable to give Dr Salcius full clinical responsibilities due to issues related to communication and language.
He said Dr Salcius’ fixed term contract was not extended, primarily because of concerns about his language skills.
The report says: “The MPTS took account of the serious incidents relating to Dr Salcius’ English language and communication skills which led to risks in patient safety and concluded that the GMC’S direction for Dr Salcius to undergo an English Language Assessment was reasonable.”
The MPTS also found Dr Salcius’s found no evidence to suggest his failure to comply was “unavoidable”.
A Review Hearing took place on January 4 this year and it was noted Dr Salcius has not engaged with the GMC or MPTS since the 2019 Tribunal, despite efforts to contact him.
The disciplinary panel determined to dismiss Dr Salcius for gross misconduct and to escalate this matter to the GMC as the trust was concerned that Dr Salcius may take up emploment at another hospital Medical Practitioners’ Tribunal report