Woman sterilised without her consent had life 'turned upside down'

Gynaecologist and obstetrician Dr David Sim carried out the procedure during an emergency caesarean section in September 2021

A woman who was sterilised without her consent has said her world was "turned upside down" by the procedure.

The woman - known as Patient A - was sterilised by Dr David Sim following an emergency caesarean section in September 2021.

Dr Sim has admitted to the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) that the sterilisation was not necessary to save the woman's life or prevent harm to her health.

He is now facing a medical tribunal.

On Tuesday, the tribunal - which will decide whether Dr Sim's actions amounted to misconduct - heard he was working at Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry when he performed the sterilisation procedure on Patient A.

Patient A had been a longstanding patient of obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Sim since 2006 and he had been involved in many of her 11 pregnancies and births.

Dr Sim and the patient had discussed sterilisation twice over a period of years, but the patient had never consented to nor ever expressed any wish to undergo sterilisation.

When she required the emergency caesarean section, Dr Sim delivered the baby and blocked the patient's fallopian tubes to permanently impair their normal function.

He admitted to the tribunal that this was in violation of the woman's reproductive rights.

The tribunal heard that Dr Sim believed at the time that Patient A wanted the sterilisation procedure.

Neither Patient A's nor her partner had consented to it in any way.

'Lapse of judgement'

"I was unable to comprehend this had happened to me and at that without my consent," Patient A said in a statement to the tribunal.

"I continued to research as I did not have much knowledge about it before. I exhausted all the ways to speak to doctors and clinics to find out ways it could be reversed."

The tribunal heard that Patient A did eventually undergo further surgery and the sterilisation procedure was reversed.

Dr Sim has admitted that his actions were the result of "a significant lapse of judgement" and he has apologised unreservedly to his former patient.

The General Medical Council (GMC) accepted that the circumstances of the emergency C-section were difficult.

Retired from practice

The tribunal heard that an expert report, given to the GMC, found that Dr Sim failed to treat Patient A "as an autonomous adult and therefore failed to respect her dignity and privacy".

It added that "his actions fell seriously below the actions and standards expected".

The tribunal was told Dr Sim had a "long, distinguished and unblemished career over 40 years" but he admitted that he made assumptions about the patient's wishes, "that could justifiably be criticised as paternalistic" and he regretted that.

He has now retired from all practice and relinquished his licence to practice earlier this year with no intention of returning to work.

The MPTS will now consider if misconduct is proved and if it is proved a decision is then made on whether Dr Sim's fitness to practise as a doctor is impaired.