Herpes deaths: Surgeon never had the virus, inquest told

Samantha Mulcahy (left) and Kimberley Sampson died weeks apart after being operated on by the same surgeon

A surgeon who operated on two women who died with herpes shortly after they gave birth has told an inquest he has never had the virus.

Kim Sampson and Samantha Mulcahy died with the virus after the surgeon at the East Kent Hospitals University NHS Trust carried out their Caesareans.

The surgeon - who cannot be named for legal reasons - insisted he always wore a mask during surgery, and scrubbed up.

He also told the hearing he had always worn double gloves.

Ms Sampson's baby boy was delivered at the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital in Margate in May 2018.

In July of that year, first-time mother Mrs Mulcahy died from an infection caused by the same virus at the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford.

In March, the Mid Kent and Medway Coroner, Catherine Wood, accepted an application from the trust to give anonymity to the surgeon common to both cases.

'Never had a lesion'

The coroner told the surgeon of two theories which suggest he may have been "a potential source of infection".

The first theory was there could have been droplet infection and the second theory was the infection could have come from a whitlow, which is a herpes infection of the finger.

The surgeon said he had never had the infection, adding: "The mask was there."

He continued: "I never had a lesion or broken gloves. If I had broken my gloves I would see and it would be easy to see it. I never had a lesion is my answer and I am sure that none of my gloves were broken because they were new."

He insisted his methods for maintaining good hand hygiene standards were up to medical guidelines.

The inquest was told the surgeon was contacted by a representative from occupational health in July 2018 and was not told he needed to be screened.

'Not offered antibody test'

The surgeon said: "I asked her if I had to do anything and she said no."

He said he was not offered an antibody test "at any stage" during their talk and he said he would have been willing to do it.

He offered his condolences to the families.

Asked by the Sampson family's lawyer, Jemma Lee, if he could be certain he checked his gloves, the surgeon replied: "I am checking in all incidences. I should know if I come into contact with the patient's blood or not."

He also said his mask did not get wet - "never, even when I'm speaking".

The inquest continues.

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