Joyce v Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth Health Authority

(1996) 7 Med LR 01

COURT OF APPEAL

Lord Justice NOURSE, Lord Justice ROCH, and Lord Justice HOBHOUSE

Professional liability — Cardiology registrar — Diagnosis and treatment — Brachial cardiac catheterisation — Suturing error causing vascular complications — Repair/reconstruction operations carried out — Whether brachial artery was wholly or partially occluded on completion of procedure — Whether signs and symptoms such that surgeon should have appreciated that circulation in patient's right arm was compromised — Whether patient should not have been discharged from hospital until circulation had been restored to normal — Whether registrar should have called for assistance of vascular surgeons — Whether judge's finding that instructions given to patient were adequate should be reversed — Causation