A teenage boy underwent surgery to remove a testicle due to an alleged misdiagnosis by a general practitioner, as revealed in a recent hearing. The incident involving Dr. Alicia Marton Martinez, who previously worked as a locum GP with SouthDoc, an out-of-hours GP service, three years ago, is under scrutiny by the Medical Council.
Dr. Marton Martinez faces accusations of professional misconduct and subpar performance in treating two patients, a 14-year-old boy, and a three-week-old baby. The boy’s mother described her son waking up with a swollen testicle and severe pain, suspecting testicular torsion, a critical condition where blood flow to the testicle is restricted.
Despite the mother’s concerns and online research, Dr. Marton Martinez reportedly dismissed the situation as normal for a teenage boy and advised basic remedies over the phone. Subsequently, the boy had to undergo surgery to remove the affected testicle due to the delayed diagnosis.
During the inquiry, a medical expert emphasized that an immediate referral to an emergency department would have significantly increased the chances of saving the testicle. The expert criticized the doctor’s approach as incompetent and noted that the suggested cold compress likely exacerbated the boy’s discomfort.
In a separate incident, the inquiry heard about a three-week-old baby with concerning symptoms, whose father was initially reassured by Dr. Marton Martinez. However, upon insistence, the baby was eventually referred to a hospital where he was diagnosed with viral meningitis, highlighting the severity of the situation.
The inquiry also noted Dr. Marton Martinez’s absence from the proceedings and her voluntary agreement to refrain from practicing medicine during the investigation. The hearing has been adjourned and is scheduled to reconvene later.