A DOCTOR whose clinical errors contributed to a patient's death has refused to say sorry and has recently been elected to a council which holds NHS bosses to account.

Kavinder Madhra took up the role as one of the public representatives on Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust's (LCFT) council of governors in February.

Mr Madhra worked for the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust from 2001 to 2018 as a consultant urologist.

He is one of three UHMBT consultants whose errors were first highlighted by former colleague Peter Duffy.

In his recently-published book, Whistle in the Wind, Mr Duffy flagged up a catalogue of clinical errors by Mr Madhra, Ashutosh Jain and Muhammad Naseem.

In 2002 Mr Madhra was issued with a warning from the General Medical Council (GMC) because of clinical errors but was allowed to continue working as a doctor.

He continued to be paid while he spent seven years retraining and returned to Furness General Hospital in 2008.

But concerns about Mr Madhra continued to emerge with one error almost resulting in a patient having the wrong kidney removed.

He was also involved in the care of Irene Erhart from Walney who died at Furness General Hospital in 2011.

A coroner later ruled that delays in treatment contributed to Mrs Erhart's death.

In July 2014 five complaints were made about Mr Madhra on the same day by two patients and three doctors.

One related to his failure to act during a potential case of cord compression which could have left the patient paralysed.

Mr Madhra was instantly suspended 'in the interests of patient safety' and to 'prevent further risk to patients' but was allowed to return to work as long as he was supervised.

He resigned from UHMBT in October 2018 after a raft of conditions on his practice following concerns being raised by the GMC.

Mr Madhra is currently undergoing a fitness to practice hearing with the Medical Practitioners' Tribunal Service.

He has never spoken about Mr Duffy's allegations but this week The Mail spoke to him at his home in The Gardens in Barrow.

When asked if he wanted to say sorry to any of the patients harmed by his mistakes, Mr Madhra said "no" and closed the door.

Earlier this month a 57-year-old man from Barrow received a £125,000 settlement from UHMBT after a botched circumcision carried out by Mr Madhra left him unable to have sex.

Too much skin was removed during the operation in October 2012 and the man was left suffering from ‘extremely buried penis’ where the penis is covered by excess skin.

As a result he has to press a bucket against himself when going to the toilet.

The patient said he had been furious to read in The Mail that Mr Madhra had been allowed to continue treating patients for years before restrictions were imposed on his practice.

LCFT has now responded to concerns raised about Mr Madhra's appointment to the council of governors by Barrow and Furness MP John Woodcock.

NHS trusts each have a council of governors which is the collective body through which executive and non-executive directors explain and justify their actions.

Governors, made up of public and staff representatives, work closely with a trust's board to make sure services are meeting the needs of the local community.

A spokeswoman for LCFT said: “It is not appropriate to discuss individuals.

“However, the process for appointment to the Council of Governors includes the need to make declarations of both suitability and eligibility.

“Applicants then have to be elected by constituency members to the Council of Governors.

“Details of the eligibility requirements can be found within the trust’s constitution which is published on the trust’s website.”

Barrow and Furness MP John Woodcock has urged Kavinder Madhra to ‘step down’ from Lancashire Care Foundation Trust (LCFT) council of governors.

Mr Woodcock said the consultant’s appointment to the council is ‘distracting at best’.

The Barrow MP has been outspoken against the impending transfer of Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services in south Cumbria to LCFT.

Mr Woodcock said Mr Madhra’s appointment was ill-advised in light of University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust bosses asking NHS England and NHS Improvement to commission an independent inquiry into his clinical errors.

“Given the cloud surrounding his departure from Morecambe Bay urology department, Mr Madhra’s role at LCFT risks further undermining local confidence in this already controversial transfer.

“It would at best be distracting for Mr Madhra to continue as a governor while the prospect of a major investigation into his failings as a consultant hangs over him.

“Assuming the transfer goes ahead as planned, nothing should be allowed to divert attention from the vital mission of improving our patchy and underfunded local mental health provision that currently lets down so many vulnerable people.

“I hope he will recognise that and decide to step down voluntarily.”