Dolores Moyano Ontiveros is accused of causing the death of staff nurse Elizabeth Rourke on 17 October 2006. The theatre sister who was helping Dr Ontiveros during the hysteroscopy told the Assize jury yesterday that she became concerned about the doctor’s performance during the surgery.
Suzanne Mottram said that she became concerned when she realised that the electricity powering the cutting tool used in the procedure to cut away abnormal tissue was still being used on Mrs Rourke even though no tissue mass was visible on the monitor.
Mrs Mottram said that as Dr Moyano had retrieved a specimen tissue sample, she felt it would be ‘better and safer’ to stop. ‘I couldn’t see any tissue but she was still cutting, and I remember the diathermy being used and it seemed to be taking a while,’ she told Crown Advocate Howard Sharp.
The trial, being heard in the Royal Court, is expected to take several weeks.