Patel to stand trial for grievous bodily harm of Aus patient

Indian-origin surgeon Jayant Patel will stand trial in an Australian court on September 23 for allegedly causing "grievous bodily harm" to a patient.

Crown prosecutor Todd Fuller told the Brisbane Supreme Court that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) also intended to commit outstanding fraud charges against Patel to the District Court but did not give a date.

Dr Patel, 62, an American citizen, has pleaded not guilty and has been granted bail, was not in the Brisbane Supreme Court today for the review of his case.

It is alleged he unnecessarily removed the colon of patient Ian Vowles, 65, while a director of surgery at Bundaberg Base Hospital.

Prosecutors will claim Vowles' bowel showed no sign of cancer when the surgeon decided to operate, causing ongoing health complications to the patient, AAP news agency reported.

Fuller asked the court to consider dates for the trial to be listed in August or September this year and suggested a time-frame of three weeks, Couriermail reported.

Barrister Ken Fleming, for Patel, indicated a number of matters would need to be resolved before the trial started and said Patel would seek to poll a prospective jury panel.

Justice Glenn Martin proposed the trial be listed in the week commencing September 23 before Justice Jean Dalton.

He said the trial would be listed for 10 to 15 days.

Justice Martin indicated a pre-trial hearing could take place in August or early September.

The Crown did not indicate whether manslaughter charges against Patel for the alleged unlawful killing of patients Garry Kemps, 77, and James Phillips, 46, would continue.

At last hearing, the DPP had not yet responded to a submission from Patel requesting the manslaughter charges be withdrawn, the report said.

Patel applied to have the charges dismissed after a jury earlier this year found him not guilty of unlawfully killing patient Mervyn John Morris, 75, in 2003.