One of the first overseas teams of surgeons, billed as the solution to the UK's long waiting lists, decided to stop operating on its first day.

The team of three, from Germany, only completed two cataract operations at Cannock Chase Hospital in the West Midlands before quitting.

At least three other patients were reportedly prepared and ready to undergo their operations - which eventually had to be carried out by the hospital's own opthalmology team.

We were concerned that our patients could be at risk

Letter from NHS consultants, Cannock Chase Hospital

The incident, reported in Hospital Doctor newspaper, happened earlier this month.

Surgeons at the hospital have complained to management that the overseas team was given too little time to prepare for the job - and used "antiquated" procedures.

It is not clear exactly why the team chose to leave halfway through the surgical "session", which was intended to pilot a wider use of German doctors at the hospital near Birmingham.

However, the UK surgeons told their bosses that they only cooperated with the scheme because they were concerned their patients were at risk.

'Patients at risk'

The hospital is now reviewing the situation and has not confirmed whether or not it intends to proceed with the scheme.

In their letter to management, the Cannock consultants said that their German counterparts had used "antiquated" techniques.

The NHS doctors also reviewed the two cases completed and claimed that in one case the patient needed another operation to repair a problem left over from the first procedure.

The trust is reviewing the project in conjunction with local clinicians

Hospital statement

They wrote: "We argued for a number of measures to protect our patients, and even though we considered those to be insufficient, we believed Mid Staffordshire management had agreed to implement them.

"We have now learned that the initiative has commenced without adherence even to these limited safeguards."

The identities of the German team members have not been revealed by the hosptal.

'Too much pressure'

However, Hans Finck, who runs German Medicine Net, another firm which arranges UK work by German surgical teams, said that it was an "unfortunate" incident.

He said that it would be "difficult" for surgeons to work if they were being scrutinised by local doctors looking to find fault.

He told BBC News Online: "If people would sit down for a second and talk to each other, perhaps this kind of thing wouldn't happen."

The introduction of overseas surgical teams is one of the Department of Health's initiatives to try to cut waiting times in key specialities such as opthalmology.

However, their arrival has not been completely smooth.

Teething troubles

Language difficulties halted a scheme in Taunton in Somerset, and another team left a hospital in Birmingham after it became clear that the nature of the work they were expected to do had not been made clear to the firm in advance.

However, it is understood that several other schemes are still being arranged in hospitals throughout England.

Hospital managers said they would not comment until their review of the pilot was completed.

In a statement, they said: "The trust is reviewing the project in conjunction with local clinicians and considering the best option to progress the initiative specifically including the integration of an overseas surgeon into a local unit."