Doctors charged over patient death

Two doctors have been charged with manslaughter after a fit and healthy young father died following a routine knee operation.

Sean Phillips, 31, went into Southampton General Hospital for a simple ligament operation. He died four days later from liver failure, after suffering serious blood poisoning caused by the virulent streptococcus bacteria which destroys red blood cells.

Police confirmed today that two doctors involved in his treatment have been charged with manslaughter and will appear before magistrates next month.

Doctors Amit Misra, 33, and Rajeev Srivastava, 37, no longer work for the hospital but were employed as junior doctors at the time of Mr Phillips's operation in June 2000. A hospital spokesman today refused to say whether they were involved in the surgery or after-care of Mr Phillips.

His family have welcomed the charges, which come after an 18-month police investigation. It is not unusual for police to investigate deaths in hospital, often at the request of a coroner, but it is rare for manslaughter charges to be brought against individual staff.

His father, Pat Phillips, 55, said: "He went in for a minor operation on his knee and four days later he was dead.

"I'm never going to see his smile again or give him a hug. Sean was such a smashing young lad and he did not deserve to die so young."

Mr Phillips jnr, an account representative for medical company Warner and Lambert, was described by his father as "extremely fit". He moved from Faversham to Southampton 10 years ago and lived with his girlfriend Annabell Grant and their four-year-old-son Mitchell.

The two doctors are due to appear before Southampton magistrates on 19 February.