One of the doctors who picked up clients from ousted British doctor Jonathan Murray is now charging some patients around three times as much.

Dr. Jonathan Murray,who was considered by some to be Bermuda?s top ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist, was forced to stop treating patients early last year after losing his work permit.

Home Affairs Minister Terry Lister had turned down his appeal after pointing out there were three Bermudian doctors qualified to do the work.

However that decision horrified some of Dr. Murray?s patients.

One wife of a cancer patient contacted to complain her husband had to pay Dr. Robert Vallis around $150 for a 25-minute consultation recently, on top of what the Government insurance scheme picked up. This compared to around $50 extra charged by Dr. Murray.

She said her husband, who was diagnosed in 2000 with an aggressive lymphoma of the head and neck, was not happy with that check up while Dr. Murray?s care had been excellent and he had worked well with US cancer specialists at the Memorial Sloan Kettering hospital.

She said on one occasion her husband ?developed a major complication as a result of his extensive radiation and was required to have a portion of his lower jaw removed but was too ill to travel to Sloan Kettering.

?Because of his level of skill, Dr. Murray was able to consult with the medical team at Sloan and to perform this sensitive procedure locally with the assistance of a local dental surgeon.?

The woman, who is Bermudian, said that local procedure had saved the Government Employees Health Insurance scheme several thousand dollars in air ambulance costs and extensive overseas hospitalisation costs.

But she questioned the value for money of the recent check up with Dr. Vallis and said it was important medical health care providers were held accountable.

She is now lobbying various medical bodies including the Health Insurance Association of Bermuda (HIAB).

However, HIAB President Gina Bradshaw said she believed Dr. Vallis was charging ?in accordance with his speciality? although the wife of the cancer sufferer claimed Dr. Vallis was not a cancer specialist unlike Dr. Murray.

Yesterday contacted Dr. Vallis? office for comment but his secretary then called back and said he did not wish to respond.