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Children Among 209 Harmed in NHS Surgical Review
8 Sep
Summary
- Over 200 patients, mostly children, experienced harm during surgery.
- A suspended surgeon's cases revealed a high rate of complications.
- The hospital trust is reviewing hundreds of patient cases.
An NHS hospital is conducting a comprehensive review of patient cases following the suspension of an orthopaedic surgeon. The review, which has examined 994 patients to date, has identified that 209 individuals, or 21% of those reviewed, experienced harm. A significant portion of these patients, 139, were children who received elective care.
Concerns arose after the surgeon's suspension in March 2024, leading to the discovery of a higher-than-expected level of surgical complications among her patients. Forty-seven cases were categorized as severe, with one instance resulting in a fatality. The hospital trust has expressed deep apologies to affected patients and families.
An external clinical review, led by Andrew Kennedy KC and involving ten senior consultants, is underway and is expected to conclude later in 2026. The trust has committed to sharing the final report with patients and families first before public release. Psychological support has been offered to 60 patients and family members.
Meanwhile, the hospital's paediatric orthopaedic service is described as fragile due to staff absences and departures, impacting clinical capacity. The trust is also assessing waiting lists to understand the broader effects on patient care.
