Both Men and Women Suffering Problems Following Treatment By Dr Manu Nair

Almost 60 patients are taking legal action to investigate concerns regarding prostate, bladder and kidney treatment they received from a surgeon in Birmingham both privately and on the NHS.

The group of 57 patients, both men and women, have all instructed specialist medical negligence lawyers at Irwin Mitchell after suffering problems following their treatment by the surgeon Dr Manu Nair who has appeared as an expert on the TV show ‘Embarrassing Bodies’ and has previously been suspended by the General Medical Council (GMC).

A drop-in legal clinic for worried patients is to be held on Monday 15th August 2016 in Birmingham.

Many of the patients have had prostate cancer treatment or surgery by the Consultant Urologist however some have later found out that they didn’t even have cancer while others were given a treatment known as HFIU (High Intensity Focused Ultrasound) which had yet to be approved by NICE (National Institute of Clinical Excellence).

Since their treatment they have received letters from Heartlands NHS Hospital in Birmingham and the Spire Parkway private hospital saying the surgeon’s practices had been reviewed and that a number of his patients were being recalled for review after conditions were imposed upon him by the GMC.

Dr Manu Nair continues to be under investigation  by the GMC which has placed strict conditions on his medical practice and suspended him from private practice, allowing him to only to work within an NHS setting under supervision.

Irwin Mitchell is investigating an array of complaints from the surgeon’s patients including; prostate cancer diagnosis issues, delivering of HIFU treatment not approved by NICE, unnecessary nephrectomy (removal of kidney), unnecessary green light laser treatment and incomplete prostate removal potentially leaving malignant tissue behind.

The Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust has already admitted that in one case that it was negligent for Mr Nair to recommend HIFU treatment and that there was a failure to inform their patient that there was no follow up data regarding the treatment.

The expert medical negligence team at Irwin Mitchell is now discussing a bespoke protocol with the NHS for the legal cases to be reviewed as quickly and efficiently as possible but patients will face a cut-off date to join the action.

Adam Wright, the specialist medical negligence lawyer at Irwin Mitchell leading the action said: 

Patients are now being invited to find out more information at a drop-in legal clinic on Monday 15th August 2016, between 9am and 5pm at Imperial House, 31 Temple Street, Birmingham, B2 5DB.

For more information please call 0121 203 5305.

Case Study

One man, from Birmingham, was left infertile and suffering from incontinence problems after Dr Manu Nair carried out a new treatment on him in 2012.

He was diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer and was told by the surgeon that he faced a ‘life or death situation’ and needed urgent medical attention.

Dr Manu Nair advised him that his options for treatment were either to have a radical prostatectomy (removal of prostate gland) or HIFU (High intensity focused ultrasound) treatment. Our client elected to receive HIFU on the basis that it was a much less invasive procedure and he was told there were virtually no side effects.

However a month after the treatment he was in agonising pain and he was unable to urinate. He woke one night needing to go to the toilet and experiencing extreme pain before passing two large pieces of tissue from his penis which he describes as “the single most painful experience of my life”.

He attended A&E where the tissue was taken from him to be analysed. He was later told that he had passed parts of his “cooked” prostate gland. He continues to suffer from episodes of urinary incontinence and impotence. Most distressingly, he is now unable to start a family with his wife of 23 years.

He said: “My whole way of life has changed and being told that I can no longer have children is just soul-destroying. I was relatively young when I was diagnosed with prostate cancer and I had so much to look forward to in my life. I knew of the risks of prostate cancer and I was surprised to be diagnosed at 43 as I thought it was something which happened in older men.

“I was horrified when I discovered that I had passed part of my dead prostate gland after treatment I had been recommended by Dr Manu Nair. It was the single most painful experience of my life and it has left me with permanent damage. I hope that with the help from Irwin Mitchell that a thorough investigation is carried out to ensure no other men have to go through the horrific ordeal I have experienced.

“I would also like to help raise awareness about prostate cancer and the importance of seeking advice from doctors, particularly amongst young men, and I would urge them if they experience any symptoms or have any concerns to visit their GP as soon as they can.”

He has recently been reviewed by a different Consultant Urologist who states in a letter to him that he was ‘misled to some extent that this was aggressive cancer’ and that it is not surprising that ‘there will be debris that passes though the urethra’.

If you’ve suffered due to poor care from a GP or community healthcare worker, our medical negligence solicitors could help you claim compensation. Visit our GP Negligence Claims page for more information.