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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/apr/12/doping-claims-doctor-mark-bonar-cancer-patient-false-hope-tribunal
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| Doping claims doctor gave terminal cancer patient false hope, tribunal told | Doping claims doctor gave terminal cancer patient false hope, tribunal told |
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| The British doctor at the centre of allegations about the doping of as many as 150 athletes, including Premier League footballers, kept a dying patient in the dark about her terminal cancer so he could continue charging her for nutrition treatment, a tribunal has heard. | The British doctor at the centre of allegations about the doping of as many as 150 athletes, including Premier League footballers, kept a dying patient in the dark about her terminal cancer so he could continue charging her for nutrition treatment, a tribunal has heard. |
| Harley Street specialist Dr Mark Bonar should have allowed the woman to undergo end-of-life care but instead gave her false hope of recovery by offering a form of potentially dangerous intravenous feeding, a medical watchdog has been told. | Harley Street specialist Dr Mark Bonar should have allowed the woman to undergo end-of-life care but instead gave her false hope of recovery by offering a form of potentially dangerous intravenous feeding, a medical watchdog has been told. |
| Bonar, 38, was caught on tape in a sting by a national newspaper saying he had treated athletes including footballers, boxers, cyclists and tennis players with banned substances such as steroids and human growth hormone. | Bonar, 38, was caught on tape in a sting by a national newspaper saying he had treated athletes including footballers, boxers, cyclists and tennis players with banned substances such as steroids and human growth hormone. |
| He told the Sunday Times he had not breached General Medical Council (GMC) rules and that adhering to doping regulations was the responsibility of individual athletes. | He told the Sunday Times he had not breached General Medical Council (GMC) rules and that adhering to doping regulations was the responsibility of individual athletes. |
| Bonar, who is not registered to practise medicine, attended a misconduct hearing on Tuesday over his alleged failure to inform a patient that her cancer was terminal so that he could keep charging her for treatment. | Bonar, who is not registered to practise medicine, attended a misconduct hearing on Tuesday over his alleged failure to inform a patient that her cancer was terminal so that he could keep charging her for treatment. |
| Bonar, who reportedly charges private patients £150 for a 15-minute appointment, also allegedly told the American woman she could not receive emergency NHS treatment as she was not a British citizen. | Bonar, who reportedly charges private patients £150 for a 15-minute appointment, also allegedly told the American woman she could not receive emergency NHS treatment as she was not a British citizen. |
| It was only when two nurses realised that her situation was critical that she got treatment. She died two months later aged 46. | It was only when two nurses realised that her situation was critical that she got treatment. She died two months later aged 46. |
| Bonar and fellow medic Dr Siegfried Trefzer, 58, denied a string of misconduct allegations at the hearing in Manchester. | Bonar and fellow medic Dr Siegfried Trefzer, 58, denied a string of misconduct allegations at the hearing in Manchester. |
| The medical practitioners tribunal service was told that Bonar treated the woman after she fell ill with cervical cancer. | The medical practitioners tribunal service was told that Bonar treated the woman after she fell ill with cervical cancer. |
| She moved to London in October 2012 to be closer to her sister and stayed at the £450-a-night Athenaeum Serviced Apartments in Mayfair where nurses, carers and hotel staff could see to her needs. | She moved to London in October 2012 to be closer to her sister and stayed at the £450-a-night Athenaeum Serviced Apartments in Mayfair where nurses, carers and hotel staff could see to her needs. |
| She was kept on an intravenous drip for eight hours a day and given nutritional supplements, but her care by an “unqualified entourage” was described as chaotic. The hearing was told that neither doctor took overall responsibility for her care and both failed her. | She was kept on an intravenous drip for eight hours a day and given nutritional supplements, but her care by an “unqualified entourage” was described as chaotic. The hearing was told that neither doctor took overall responsibility for her care and both failed her. |
| Charles Garside QC, counsel for the GMC said the patient was kept in the dark about her prognosis that her cancer was incurable. He said: “The care of the patient was being compromised by the lack of medical knowledge and neither of them [Bonar and Trefzer] had overall responsibility for her care. | Charles Garside QC, counsel for the GMC said the patient was kept in the dark about her prognosis that her cancer was incurable. He said: “The care of the patient was being compromised by the lack of medical knowledge and neither of them [Bonar and Trefzer] had overall responsibility for her care. |
| “Both doctors performed individual tasks but did not take responsibility for what was going on overall. This is just not what ought to have happened. Somebody should have got a grip. She wanted to know the results of her scan and she wanted to know what the prognosis was but they had been told by her sister that she should not be told this.” | “Both doctors performed individual tasks but did not take responsibility for what was going on overall. This is just not what ought to have happened. Somebody should have got a grip. She wanted to know the results of her scan and she wanted to know what the prognosis was but they had been told by her sister that she should not be told this.” |
| The hearing was told that neither doctor had carried out similar treatment before. “This woman was treated in chaotic conditions and ineffectively, and her discomfort and mental state were made worse rather than better,” Garside said. | The hearing was told that neither doctor had carried out similar treatment before. “This woman was treated in chaotic conditions and ineffectively, and her discomfort and mental state were made worse rather than better,” Garside said. |
| In May 2013 the woman, referred to as patient A, was admitted to the Wellington hospital in London for a medical procedure. While receiving treatment, scans showed the cancer had spread and medics realised the only treatment required would be palliative care. | In May 2013 the woman, referred to as patient A, was admitted to the Wellington hospital in London for a medical procedure. While receiving treatment, scans showed the cancer had spread and medics realised the only treatment required would be palliative care. |
| But when she went back to see Bonar, neither he nor the fellow medic told her about the results of the scans. Instead, they allegedly continued to treat her at the Athenaeum apartments where she hoped for a cure. | But when she went back to see Bonar, neither he nor the fellow medic told her about the results of the scans. Instead, they allegedly continued to treat her at the Athenaeum apartments where she hoped for a cure. |
| She was offered “total parenteral nutrition” (TPN), a form of intravenous feeding that carries risk of infection and blood imbalances. The hearing heard that she was not told of the risks or the fact that the treatment would not provide any cure. | She was offered “total parenteral nutrition” (TPN), a form of intravenous feeding that carries risk of infection and blood imbalances. The hearing heard that she was not told of the risks or the fact that the treatment would not provide any cure. |
| Two nurses came to the view in December 2013 that palliative care was needed rather than TPN. But when they expressed their concerns, Bonar allegedly told them: “Your opinions are valueless because you are just nurses and I am a doctor.” | Two nurses came to the view in December 2013 that palliative care was needed rather than TPN. But when they expressed their concerns, Bonar allegedly told them: “Your opinions are valueless because you are just nurses and I am a doctor.” |
| Patient A was finally referred to the NHS on 27 January 2014. | Patient A was finally referred to the NHS on 27 January 2014. |
| Garside said the conduct of Bonar and Trefzer did not contribute to her death as she was already dying, but her discomfort was exacerbated by the lack of proper treatment. | Garside said the conduct of Bonar and Trefzer did not contribute to her death as she was already dying, but her discomfort was exacerbated by the lack of proper treatment. |
| He said: “From May 2013 it should have been clear to all medical attendants that Patient A was not going to recover. The only realistic option was palliative care designed to make her decline and death as comfortable as possible. | He said: “From May 2013 it should have been clear to all medical attendants that Patient A was not going to recover. The only realistic option was palliative care designed to make her decline and death as comfortable as possible. |
| “Unfortunately, neither Dr Bonar nor Dr Trefzer told her of the result of the scans, so she continued to hope for a cure for her cancer and consented to treatment which carried real risk but was not going to be effective. | “Unfortunately, neither Dr Bonar nor Dr Trefzer told her of the result of the scans, so she continued to hope for a cure for her cancer and consented to treatment which carried real risk but was not going to be effective. |
| “Patient A had not been properly consulted and nurses rapidly came to the view that she needed proper palliative care. What she didn’t need was TPN, which was unnecessary and could not have resulted in a cure or alleviation of her condition.” | “Patient A had not been properly consulted and nurses rapidly came to the view that she needed proper palliative care. What she didn’t need was TPN, which was unnecessary and could not have resulted in a cure or alleviation of her condition.” |
| Bonar and Trefzer are also accused of failing to properly monitor Patient A’s condition while the TPN was administered. They did not seek the supervision of an appropriate consultant, did not have the correct multi-disciplinary team and did not have appropriate equipment available, it was alleged. Bonar is also said to have failed to keep proper notes of the treatment. | Bonar and Trefzer are also accused of failing to properly monitor Patient A’s condition while the TPN was administered. They did not seek the supervision of an appropriate consultant, did not have the correct multi-disciplinary team and did not have appropriate equipment available, it was alleged. Bonar is also said to have failed to keep proper notes of the treatment. |
| Gary Summers, counsel for the two doctors, argued that these were “extraordinary circumstances” where an American citizen with visa issues was seeking private treatment without the means to pay for it. | Gary Summers, counsel for the two doctors, argued that these were “extraordinary circumstances” where an American citizen with visa issues was seeking private treatment without the means to pay for it. |
| He claimed that Bonar treated the patient free of charge for six months in the five-star apartments because the woman and her family did not want NHS treatment. Summers described it as a “nightmare scenario” that was meant to be temporary. | He claimed that Bonar treated the patient free of charge for six months in the five-star apartments because the woman and her family did not want NHS treatment. Summers described it as a “nightmare scenario” that was meant to be temporary. |
| Reading a statement on behalf of Bonar, he said: “This is the scenario: when she came out of hospital she was already ill and was in the process of dying. She was living in a five-star hotel with no access to palliative care and with no way of paying for private treatment. | Reading a statement on behalf of Bonar, he said: “This is the scenario: when she came out of hospital she was already ill and was in the process of dying. She was living in a five-star hotel with no access to palliative care and with no way of paying for private treatment. |
| “She was weak and dying and her family were asking me to help and it was a question of ethics. I could not get her access to the care that she needed but I did what I could. I would like to stress that I was not being paid but I looked after her free of charge for six months.” | “She was weak and dying and her family were asking me to help and it was a question of ethics. I could not get her access to the care that she needed but I did what I could. I would like to stress that I was not being paid but I looked after her free of charge for six months.” |
| The hearing was told that the patients family vehemently wanted private treatment but had already run up large medical bills and had been blacklisted by some private clinics. | The hearing was told that the patients family vehemently wanted private treatment but had already run up large medical bills and had been blacklisted by some private clinics. |
| The hearing continues. | The hearing continues. |
| • This article was amended on 14 April 2016. An earlier version said the medical practitioners tribunal service “was told that Bonar, who practises at the Omniya clinic in central London, treated the woman after she fell ill with cervical cancer”. Omniya has asked us to clarify that Patient A was never treated at its clinic, and that it terminated its contract with Bonar on 1 April after finding out that his licence to practise had been withdrawn by the General Medical Council. |