Doctor’s notes had no record of mole removal
Dr Peter Peng-Cheng Ting, a GP in Artane, Dublin, accepts he did not arrange for a biopsy of the mole and failed to keep adequate patient records.
Dr Ting, aged 51, who faces a number of charges of professional conduct, accepts that he did not respond to letters from the council. He has claimed he was in a state of denial at the time and was hoping the matter would go away.
His patient, William Cashell, from Rush, Co Dublin, was 36 when he complained that a mole had become itchy and sore.
When the inquiry opened yesterday, Lorraine Coady said Mr Cashell, her partner of 10 years, and father of their seven-year-old son, had the mole removed by Dr Ting in February 2007.
The inquiry heard there is no record in Dr Ting’s medical notes of the mole having been removed.
Ms Coady said Mr Cashell developed a lump under his arm about two months after the mole was removed, and attended Dr Ting again in April 2007.
Dr Ting referred Mr Cashell to a local medical clinic for a chest X-ray and ultrasound.
Cystic masses were found and Mr Cashell was referred to Beaumont Hospital in Dublin for an out-patient appointment on August 17, 2007. He was admitted as a patient to Beaumont on September 4 after attending an out of hours doctors’ service.
A hospital doctor told the inquiry he had hoped a lymphoma would be diagnosed but tests revealed it was metastatic carcinoma or a metastatic melanoma.
Mr Cashell was referred to an oncology team in Beaumont and died on May 31, 2008.
The allegations of profession misconduct made against Dr Ting include failing to take any or adequate steps when removing the mole from Mr Cashell and failing to send it for biopsy.
The inquiry continues today.
