Sacked surgeon from Cricklewood sues for unfair dismissal

A leading surgeon from Cricklewood is claimed to have sacrificed the care of an NHS transplant patient so he could treat two brothers privately, an employment tribunal heard.

Professor Nadey Hakim, 57, of Hocroft Road, is claiming unfair dismissal after being sacked from his post at Hammersmith following the alleged incident.

The tribunal was told his actions “significantly increased” the risk to the 41-year-old woman by leaving her replacement pancreas untransplanted for 25 hours – one of the longest times ever recorded.

He is claimed to have treated the siblings, who are foreign nationals, at a Bupa hospital first.

After carrying out a live kidney transplant between the brothers at the Cromwell hospital, in South Kensington, he arrived at Hammersmith four-and-a-half hours after the woman’s operation began to transplant her pancreas.

He had instructed two junior doctors to transplant her pancreas first.

Professor Hakim was dismissed by Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs Hammersmith hospital, in February for gross misconduct. Ian Scott, representing the trust, said survival rates from pancreas transplants were “much better” if the process was completed within 20 hours.

Prof Hakim, who is seeking reinstatement, insisted he acted in the best interest of all three patients and said the woman’s operation had been a success.

He added he was unaware of the time the pancreas had been kept on ice, and the NHS operation had been completed more quickly than a colleague could have managed.

The hearing continues.