PATIENTS today gave their support to a top heart surgeon who has been banned from operating.

Brighton Health Care NHS Trust, which runs the Royal Sussex County Hospital, said people who had been saved or helped by surgeon Andrew Forsyth had contacted the trust to praise him for changing their lives.

Mr Forsyth has been ordered to stop performing surgery at the RSCH after a study into his previous work revealed more of his patients were dying than those of a colleague.

A trust spokesman said: "We have received calls of support for Mr Forsyth. He is very well respected. Patients have no cause for alarm."

A routine audit into Mr Forsyth's work at King's

College Hospital, London, from 1992 to 1998, showed seven per cent of his patients died. The rate for a fellow

surgeon was two per cent.

King's College Hospital has also received calls supporting Mr Forsyth's work since the findings of the audit were leaked over the weekend.

The trust ordered Mr Forsyth, who was head-hunted to lead the Royal Sussex's new cardiac unit, to stop operating immediately while the findings were assessed.

He has not been suspended and is working without

performing surgery.

The Society of Cardiothoracic Surgeons and the Royal College of Surgeons is examining the findings of the audit.

Before being headhunted by the trust, in June, Mr Forsyth had been performing a

particular type of coronary artery bypass operation.

Trust chief executive Stuart Welling said his organisation and others involved with a review of the audit findings were trying to establish whether the results were in line with national mortality rates.

He explained some surgeons performed more difficult procedures than others, which could distort their mortality rates.

The trust has also stressed the audit was a purely statistical analysis and there was no evidence of negligence or poor performance in terms of patient care.

Any heart surgery patient who had a first time coronary artery bypass graft operation at King's College Hospital between 1992 and 1998 can call a helpline on 0800 7316103 between 10am and 5pm.

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