Cancer consultant Paul Miller acted dishonestly, tribunal rules

Paul Miller's company rented a machine to the private hospital, the tribunal heard

A consultant was financially motivated when he treated cancer patients on a machine he co-owned, a tribunal ruled.

The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) found Surrey urologist Paul Miller acted dishonestly by not disclosing a financial interest.

Mr Miller referred five NHS patients and treated three private patients at the Spire Gatwick Park hospital, which used a machine owned by his firm.

The 63-year-old denied misconduct between 2004 and 2018.

He was also found to have failings in his care of five other patients.

The tribunal heard Mr Miller jointly formed a private company, Mobile Hifu Ltd, which purchased a Hifu ultrasound machine and rented it to the private Spire hospital.

Hifu ultrasound had emerged in the 2000s after trials in the UK, US and France.

Recommendation was 'inappropriate'

Giving evidence, Mr Miller denied wanting to make money and said he believed the machine was in his patients' best clinical interests.

He said he never received payment from the company.

Tribunal chairman Lindsay Irvine found Mr Miller acted dishonestly in having a financial interest and motivation he did not disclose to some patients - but said the General Medical Council had not produced evidence Miller would personally financially benefit.

The tribunal found his recommendation of Hifu was inappropriate, either because the cancers were not of the kind for which Hifu was considered appropriate, or because other standard treatments offered better prospects.

The tribunal will reconvene in October when it will consider if Mr Miller's fitness to practise is impaired.