Breast surgeon set to be stripped of status

The Royal College of Surgeons has met to consider whether Robert Phipp's accreditation should be withdrawn, so preventing him from taking up any consultant post in the UK.

Mr Phipps, of Baildon, was sacked by Bradford Hospitals NHS Trust two weeks ago after a disciplinary panel was held following "discrepancies" over employment issues.

A spokesman for the Edinburgh-based Royal College of Surgeons, where Mr Phipps is a fellow, today said: "Members of the council are minded that Mr Phipps's accreditation should be withdrawn and a full report will be forwarded to the General Medical Council."

Mr Phipps was granted recognition for his specialist training by the college in 1993 which allowed him to apply for consultant posts.

He joined Bradford Hospitals NHS Trust in 1998 after practising as a surgeon for eight years in New Zealand and held weekly sessions at the Pennine Breast Screening Service.

Twenty-eight of the 3,002 former patients of the 45-year-old surgeon have been invited to attend an independent examination after doubts were raised about their medical records, but the trust has stressed that the sacking was not a result of medical negligence or sub-standard clinical practice.

Mr Phipps yesterday told the Telegraph & Argus that he had no idea the Royal College of Surgeons was discussing his case and he would wait until he heard officially from it before deciding what action to take.

"I don't know anything about it," he said. "I have not been to a hearing or anything like that."

He said he had taken legal advice on his situation and would inform his solicitor about the latest development.

Following his dismissal, Mr Phipps claimed that he had been made a scapegoat for "whistle-blowing" after raising serious allegations about the trust's management of breast cancer care. The trust immediately rejected his claims, saying that performance was fully monitored, recorded and dealt with openly.