Jose Duarte Tavares – ENT surgeon based in Southampton struck off UK medical register

Posted: 22/06/2023

The BMJ reported this week (20 June) that Jose Duarte Tavares, a general ENT (ear nose and throat surgeon) working at the Southampton Treatment Centre (operated by Care UK), has been struck off the medical register, having been found by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service to have undertaken surgical procedures for which he was neither qualified or equipped, and to have attempted to conceal his errors. It is understood that concerns about his practice were raised by specialists at University Hospital Southampton after they took over care of patients Mr Tavares had operated on. 

Philippa Luscombe, partner in the clinical negligence team at Penningtons Manches Cooper, comments: “It is not known at this stage how many patients may have been compromised by the care they received from Mr Tavares but clearly practitioners are not struck off the UK medical register without good grounds. As a clinical negligence team, one of the themes we have noticed is private surgeons performing operations that they do not have sufficient expertise in and/or not managing surgical complications well – usually resulting in the patient coming back under NHS care because of post operative problems. 

“Here it appears that other surgeons ‘inheriting’ Mr Tavares’ patients did the right thing in raising concerns about his practice, and his ability to operate and cause further injury to patients has now been removed.”

Penningtons Manches Cooper has a specialist team dealing with clinical negligence claims involving ENT issues, which offers an initial, free consultation on a no obligation basis to any individuals who have concerns about their care and outcome. Please contact the team on 0800 328 9545, email clinnegspecialist@penningtonslaw.com or complete our online assessment form.

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