A DEVASTATED surgeon who headed an operating team that 'robbed' a patient of his only healthy kidney told the GMC yesterday how he would replay his error for the rest of his life.

Registrar Mahesh Goel, 41, a former locum at Burnley General Hospital, who performed the operation under the supervision of John Gethin Roberts, denies professional misconduct.

Roberts, 61, who also denies the charge, assured a professional conduct committee yesterday that he had studied the medical notes before his patient went under the knife but formed 'the wrong impression.'

Korean War veteran Graham Reeves, 69, died five weeks after the surgery at the Prince Philip Hospital, Llanelli, South Wales in January, 2000.

The retired pipe lagger, from Carmarthenshire, later died from heart and respiratory problems.

Leighton Davies, QC, for the GMC, earlier called for Roberts and Goel to be struck off over the 'ghastly' error.

Giving evidence for the first time on the eighth day of the hearing in London, Roberts, of Swansea, said no 'alarm bells' rang in theatre.

He admits he was unprofessional and 'incompetent' and accepts responsibility for a catalogue of errors leading to the removal of the functioning left-sided kidney.

Roberts said he has had a 'unique' opportunity to study all the papers relating to the case and had replayed in his mind what took place.

He added: "I will probably replay it for the rest of my life."

He told the panel: "My problem is that I looked at the notes and walked out with the wrong impression in my head and will kill myself for the rest of my days.

"I read something and formed the wrong conclusion."

He said once alerted to the blunder he read the notes again "and was surprised I had reached the wrong impression."

And he told the committee he had taken responsibility for operations around 30,000 times without a mistake.

Alan Jenkins, representing the consultant, said although Roberts bore ultimate responsibility, a "chain of events" was put in place that marked a failure in a system of checks and double checks.

He said his client was entitled to believe his 'trusted registrar' was fully conversant with the case.

Goel has not attended the hearing.

The doctor qualified in India and before joining the Llanelli team was a registrar at teaching hospitals in Liverpool and Cardiff.

After the tragedy he moved to Burnley General Hospital.

He has returned to India to deal with pressing family problems, although he has sent the tribunal a number of written submissions.

The committee has retired to decide whether both men are guilty of serious professional conduct and then whether to issue any sanction.

Proceeding