Cavanagh v Bristol & Weston Health Authority

(1992) 3 Med LR 49

QUEEN'S BENCH DIVISION

and Mr Justice MACPHERSON

Professional liability — Ophthalmic surgeon — Sympathetic ophthalmitis — Alleged failure to follow up patient after second opinion — Patient not discharged from hospital or referred back to family doctor — Whether patient's deterioration would at once have been seen and exciting eye removed — Whether late enucleation had reasonable chance of success in preventing onset of disease — Expert evidence — Treating consultants — Whether evidence upon issue should be limited to an account of what they had done or not done - Comments by court — Causation — Reasonable body of medical opinion contrary to views of plaintiff's experts — Bolam test not relevant to issue of causation — Comments by court — Evidence — Medical cases — Extracts from text books and articles written by other specialists not called as witnesses — Comments by court