Surgeon Arrested After Patient Dies In Questionable Circumstances

A 61-year-old consultant surgeon has been taken into police custody after a patient died in a hospital. The doctor, who has not been named, was hauled up for questioning after a grandfather died under suspicious circumstances at the Darlington Memorial Hospital.

60-year-old Alan Dunn, a resident of Ferryhill, County Durham, died in December after a knife with which he had apparently stabbed himself was removed from his chest. Durham police confirmed that the doctor had been thoroughly questioned and was out on bail till April. A spokesperson for the police said that hospital staff had been keenly questioned, but the inquiries were not yet complete. Meanwhile the hospital has said that it is working with the police to resolve the matter, "We are co-operating fully with the police investigation and cannot comment further at this stage. We would like to express our sincere condolences to Alan's family, " a spokesman for the County Durham and Darlington Acute Hospital NHS Trust said. An inquest into Mr Dunn's death was adjourned in January. The surgeon in question has not been suspended by the hospital, but has himself withdrawn from attending emergency cases. In December, he voluntarily went to the police station with his solicitor.