THE surgeon at the heart of an operations bungle has spoken for the first time of his "absolute devastation" after 19 people were wrongly injected with eye drops.

Senior NHS consultant Paul Brittain was the surgeon responsible for the patients admitted to the BUPA Gatwick Park Hospital for cataract surgery only to be left with severe vision problems.

Over the course of three days, people were injected with the wrong solution leaving many of them temporarily blind in one eye.

Mr Brittain, of Withdean Road, Brighton, blamed Government pressure to reduce waiting lists on the situation.

He said: "I am absolutely devastated. It has been the most awful experience for myself and the patients.

"We have not tried to cover up anything and are doing everything we can to put things right."

He said he deeply regretted the distress his patients were suffering but refused to go into details about exactly who was responsible for the blunder.

Mr Brittain, a consultant opthalmologist for six years, added: "These were exceptional circumstances which came about because of the pressure we had been put under by the Government to reduce waiting list numbers.

"We have been working under huge, huge pressure. We are increasing the number of patients we are operating on by ten per cent a year."

The blunder occurred at Gatwick Park Hospital in February during operations contracted out by Brighton Health Care NHS Trust.

The nursing staff used were BUPA employees while the surgeon, Mr Brittain, was an NHS consultant unfamiliar with the operating theatre and procedures.

When he carried out the surgery he opted to inject methyl cellulose into his patients' eyes to make them feel more comfortable after surgery.

The substance comes in two forms: as a droplet, for use on or around the eye only, and as an injectable liquid.

He asked the opthalmic nurse to prepare the solution and she handed him the substance she thought he wanted.

The entire process was, as usual, checked and observed by a second trained nurse. But somehow the patients were injected with the wrong type of methyl cellulose.

It was only later, when some patients complained of ill-effects, that Mr Brittain realised something was wrong and instigated an investigation.

Last month an independent inquiry was set up by East Sussex, Brighton and Hove Health Authority to investigate the incident fully.

Mr Brittain said: "Of course people are quick to blame the captain of the ship.

"My competence has never been held in question. I have been given the confidence of the college of opthalmologists. The findings of the inquiry have not yet been made public. Everyone's role will be part of the investigations."

Mr Brittain said he was still responsible for the majority of the patients affected and was carrying out restorative treatment where it was necessary.

He added: "I have been overwhelmed by the support of the patients who have been affected and the understanding they have given me. It's been extremely touching.

"These patients have had problems and they've been very stoical."

He was keen to point out the extent of the injuries suffered by his patients had been exaggerated.

He added: "To say patients have been blinded is incorrect. That's not the case.

"Every single one of those patients has enough vision to be able to drive. Of course some of the them have suffered some problems. But some were not affected at all.

"None of the patients has been irreparably damaged."

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