Decision due on baby death doctor

8:48am Friday 25th April 2008

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The fate of a doctor whose botched forceps delivery led to him being charged with manslaughter is to be decided today.

Dr Vladan Visnjevac fled to Bosnia after being charged with manslaughter following the death of Hollie Dinning at St Peter's Hospital, Chertsey, in June 2002.

Still in hiding in his home city of Sarajevo in Bosnia, Dr Visnjevac was absent from his General Medical Council (GMC) Fitness to Practice hearing which started on Monday.

He was the senior registrar on call the night of May 24, 2002, when Tracey Dinning was admitted to hospital 37 weeks' pregnant.

But Dr Visnjevac proceeded to attempt to deliver the baby four times using forceps, using "excessive force", the GMC panel heard.

Such was the force, Mrs Dinning's mother described the scene as "like a calf being delivered" while other family members had to stop Mrs Dinning being pulled off the bed.

Prosecutor Stephen Brassington described how the forcep blades had been placed asymmetrically, and together with the force, resulted in massive head injuries to the baby, who died hours after being delivered.

He said: "But for incompetence and excessive force, the baby would have been delivered healthy and normal.

"Some deaths are caused by one mistake - this death came about from a cascade of sub-standard and unacceptable decisions and actions by Dr Visnjevac each one following the other."

The baby's father, Jim Dinnington, had previously lost his former partner and child during childbirth at St Peter's Hospital in 2000.

Surrey Police said they had been trying to extradite Dr Visnjevac but had encountered problems with Bosnian authorities.

The panel found Dr Visnjevac used excessive force during the delivery, with chairman Roland Doven saying: "The panel has found that Dr Visnjevac made a number of serious errors of judgment in relation to the care and treatment which he gave to Mrs Dinning and baby Hollie.

"It has also found that these errors of judgment were, with one exception, inappropriate, irresponsible, a risk to patient safety, not in the best interests of his patient and not of a standard expected of a registered medical practitioner.

"The panel considered that Dr Visnjevac's actions with respect to his treatment of Mrs Dinning and baby Hollie were wholly unacceptable and represent failings of conduct and clinical competence which are so serious that they raise the question as to whether Dr Visnjevac should continue to practice either with restrictions on his registration or at all."

The panel will meet today to decide on any sanctions against Dr Visnjevac.