A FORMER Worcester Royal Infirmary consultant who was struck off the medical register after a bungled operation which led to a woman's death has had his ban overturned.

Locum Dr Willem Bijl, who worked as a consultant urologist at Ronkswood Hospital during October last year, was struck off after the GMC decided he was guilty of serious professional misconduct.

But the Privy Council has now overturned the decision after Dr Bijl appealed, stating he is a "competent and useful doctor who poses no danger to the public".

He will now be banned from practising as a consultant for the next 12 months, but will be allowed to work in NHS-supervised posts.

He has to notify any employer of the restrictions before he takes on a job.

At the end of the year ban, the GMC will consider whether Dr Bijl still has the qualities and skills required to practise at senior level, and whether the care of his patients is his first concern.

The original decision was made after the GMC heard how Dr Bijl, of Hackmans Road, Chelmsford, drove home from Basildon hospital in Essex without checking to see if patient Mary Love had recovered from a routine kidney stone operation.

She had suffered massive internal bleeding and heart problems during the surgery, and died after being rushed to intensive care and having a further emergency operation.

Dr Bijl claimed his English was poor and he had not understood when one of his colleagues said Mrs Love, who was 61, was "not out of the woods yet".

He admitted during surgery he knew there was some blood loss, but said he thought it was 'not very significant'.

At the hearing on Wednesday when the ban was overturned, Dr Bijl's counsel Anthony Hudson told the committee the doctor sincerely regretted his error of judgement, and the misjudgement had a serious impact on him.