Cancer doctor whose experimental treatment ended in the deaths of 10 patients

A CANCER doctor denied a coroner's claim he was 'on a jolly' when his experimental treatment ended in the deaths of 10 patients.

Paul Miller, an NHS urologist, responded by saying that the coroner's claim was "not fair" at an inquest into the deaths.

The coroner told 60-year-old Mr Miller that he had gone to extreme lengths to get his patients to follow his unorthodox treatment plans.

He said: “Here’s someone that knows they have got cancer and would it be right to say that this was just a jolly on your own behalf.”

Mr Miller said he thought to call it a "jolly" was unfair.

The consultant was giving evidence about his treatment of Graham Stoten, a bladder cancer patient who died under his care.

Mr Miller has been accused of using unconventional methods to treat patients with bladder and prostate cancers before he was dismissed by Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust in October 2014.

He had a heated exchange with Dr Karen Henderson, assistant West Sussex Coroner, where both parties spoke over each other and the coroner told Mr Miller not to interrupt her several times.

The inquest heard evidence from Mr Miller for two-and-a-half hours without a break about a consultancy session where Mr Miller told Mr Stoten and his wife that Graham had bladder cancer.

The coroner told him she could see no evidence to suggest he had given Mr Stoten and his widow, Debbie Stoten, sufficient information in that meeting on December 22 2011 to let them decide for themselves on which treatment option to choose.

Evidence showed the hospital team meeting had specifically recommended a cystectomy, a conventional treatment with the highest survival rates.

However, Mr Miller spent the majority of the consultation discussing the experimental Photodynamic Therapy, which he was excited about after having researched it.

The hearing continues.