On the third day of the manslaughter trial of Dr Dolores Moyano Ontiveros, who is accused of causing the death of staff nurse Elizabeth Rourke during a routine operation in 2006, an expert prosecution witness criticised Dr Moyano’s superior, John Day.
Under cross-examination, Professor Patrick Forbes said that he thought Mr Day had exercised ‘bad management and poor practice’ for not announcing the arrival of Dr Moyano when she took up the locum post on 14 August 2006, and for failing to reassure duty consultants that he had taken adequate steps to check that she was suitably qualified for the position.
The professor, who has 21 years’ experience as a gynaecologist in the UK, also likened Mr Day’s behaviour to the late Rodney Leyward, a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist in Kent who allegedly liked to be known as ‘the fastest gynaecologist in the West’.
Dr Moyano is charged with the manslaughter of Mrs Rourke on 17 October 2006 following a routine gynaecological procedure. The trial is expected to last between four to six weeks.
