NHS surgeon kept HIV secret for six years

An NHS surgeon who kept his HIV infection secret because he feared he would be stigmatised prompted a nationwide search for people he might have contaminated, a court heard. Nearly 400 former patients were tracked down and offered tests after it emerged Tamas Nyary who is a Hungarian national and had a culturally “deep rooted” view of how people would stigmatise those with HIV, worked at 24 hospitals across the UK between 2010 and 2016.

AN NHS surgeon who kept his HIV infection secret because he feared he would be stigmatised triggered a nationwide search for people he might have contaminated, a court heard.

Nearly 400 former patients were tracked down and offered tests to see if they had contracted the virus after it emerged Tamas Nyary, a gay doctor and surgeon, lied about his HIV status.

Nyary, who is a Hungarian national and had a culturally “deep rooted” view of how people would stigmatise those with HIV, worked at 24 hospitals across the UK between 2010 and 2016 and even performed surgery before suspicions were aroused.

The 45-year-old trauma and orthopaedic surgeon was given a one-year jail sentence, suspended for two years, after admitting offences connected to the cover-up. He is currently suspended by the General Medical Council, which require medics to reveal any condition that could affect their work.

Nottingham Crown Court heard Nyary had qualified as a doctor in Hun- gary before coming to the UK to work.

When he applied for a position with Nottingham University Hospitals in 2013, he altered a 2010 vaccination report that showed he was free from HIV to read 2012 to make it appear current.

It was not clear when he contracted the virus, but told police he changed the date simply because he needed a more up-to-date report. He got the job at Nottingham but was not thought to be HIV positive at that time.

His deception came to light after he submitted his own blood for testing using the name of an Hiv-positive patient. Inconsistencies between his sample and that of the real patient were spotted and an inquiry was launched which showed Nyary was the culprit.

A total of 397 patients whom he had treated in Nottingham, Chesterfield and Cornwall were contacted to be offered a blood test and counselling. None of them had HIV.

During police interviews, Nyary, who has no previous convictions, said he would have declared his condition to bosses, as healthcare workers are required under GMC rules, but feared being stigmatised.

Richard Posner, defending, said Nyary’s fears about people’s reaction to HIV were “deep rooted” and he may have been ignorant that he could have continued working despite his condition.

Nyary, from Nottingham, admitted forgery and using a false instrument, causing a computer to perform a function to secure unauthorised access to a programme or data, and fraud.