Suspended children’s surgeon: Review to look at care of almost 800 patients
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said the surgeon is co-operating with the review and it is not naming them for legal reasons.
A panel of expert clinicians will review the care of almost 800 patients who underwent surgery at a hospital during the time when a surgeon, who has been suspended, was employed there.
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH) has also commissioned an investigation into what was known and when, as it emerged that concerns had been raised as early as 2015.
The Trust said the orthopaedic surgeon, who specialises in treating children, is co-operating with the Trust and it is not naming the surgeon for legal reasons.
CUH announced last month it would be carrying out a retrospective external review into the practice of the surgeon.
It came after an initial review identified that outcomes of treatment provided to nine children were “below the standard we would expect”.
The Trust said the probe was ordered in October after concerns were raised by staff, and it received the conclusion of the initial external review in January.
It has now appointed barrister Andrew Kennedy KC, who recently represented the Countess of Chester Hospital in the Lucy Letby public inquiry, to chair a panel of expert clinicians that will undertake the external retrospective clinical review.
A statement from CUH chief executive Roland Sinker, published on the Trust’s website on Monday, said the panel will review the care of “almost 700 patients who have undergone planned surgical procedures during the time the surgeon has been employed by CUH”.
“We will be proactively contacting patients and families and prioritising them for a further clinical assessment and treatment where appropriate,” it said.
“While the individual surgeon specialises in paediatric surgery, it is normal practice for all orthopaedic consultants to carry out emergency orthopaedic procedures on both adults and paediatric patients.
“Therefore, as part of this retrospective review, the expert clinical panel will also review an initial 100 adults and paediatric orthopaedic trauma cases to determine whether there are any concerns about the emergency treatment provided by this surgeon.
“While it will take time to review the cases fully, we are committed to doing this in a thorough, open and transparent way.”
Mr Kennedy KC said the review will work to “ensure that any shortcomings in care are identified as quickly as possible”.
The Trust said it has commissioned specialist investigations company Verita to carry out an independent investigation into “what was known when about the practice of the individual surgeon and whether there were opportunities to have identified these issues sooner”.
“We know that concerns were raised as early as 2015 and were the subject of an external clinical review in 2016,” the statement on the CUH website said.
“The 2016 review indicated concerns about the care provided to a small number of patients and made recommendations for the Trust to implement.
“As part of their work, we have asked Verita to investigate whether that review was acted upon appropriately and, if not, why.”
CUH said it would “implement any immediate and longer term findings in full” and provide further updates at the conclusion of the independent investigation.
Jodi Newton, a specialist paediatric medical negligence solicitor and partner at Osbornes Law, represents the family of a young girl who was one of the children identified in the initial review.
She said: “My clients’ daughter has had to undergo multiple surgeries already in her short life.
“She is unable to walk unaided, and they do not know if she ever will.”
She described the case as “distressing”, and said it was “unforgivable” that concerns about the surgeon had been raised as long ago as 2015, before the girl was born.
Catherine Slattery, an expert medical negligence group action lawyer at Irwin Mitchell who is supporting affected families, said: “The findings of the initial external review were extremely disturbing.
“Since then, not only have we been contacted by some of the families but we’ve also heard heartbreaking stories from others outside the scope of that initial review about their child’s treatment.
“The first-hand accounts we’ve been told indicate a much wider issue regarding the care provided by that surgeon, and potentially over a longer period.
“However, that 800 cases will now be looked at is truly staggering.
“No doubt many other parents and patients will have questions and concerns regarding their care.”
