Warrington hospital senior eye specialist 'put patient’s sight at risk'

Jul 10 2009 by Liza Williams, Liverpool Daily Post

AN EXPERIENCED eye specialist put the sight of some of his patients at risk, a Liverpool tribunal has heard.

Orthoptist Mark Jones is accused of failing to assess “sight threatening” changes in some of his patients and potentially damaging their health at Warrington Hospital.

They included very young children and people with learning disabilities.

A case against him by the Health Professionals Council (HPC) began yesterday in Liverpool.

A panel will decide whether his fitness to practise was impaired by a lack of competence or misconduct.

There are five allegations against Mr Jones, who did not attend or offer any evidence.

They include failing to keep adequate patient records, carrying out insufficient assessments on patients – specifically on young children and during complex cases, where “sight threatening” changes may have occurred.

It is also alleged he demonstrated an inability to detect basic squints, failed to provide a basic duty of care to patients and potentially caused detriment to the health of some of them.