Botched Operations Leave Patient with Life-Changing Injuries

A mother is demanding accountability from Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH) NHS Trust after her daughter suffered life-changing injuries in two botched operations in 2018. The procedures were carried out by a consultant surgeon who practiced at Addenbrooke’s Hospital until 2024, despite concerns raised in 2015.

Missed Opportunities

A Verita report commissioned by CUH found a number of missed opportunities to respond to warnings. The trust has accepted the findings, apologized, and added that changes were underway. However, the mother criticized the report as appalling and said it was more about protecting the hospital’s reputation than answering questions or holding anyone accountable.

Patient’s Story

The patient, Neave, was born with positional talipes, a condition that causes the feet to turn inward. She could hop, skip, run, and dance, but had difficulty walking and had to undergo surgery at the age of 11 to improve her mobility. After two failed operations, Neave’s mother said her child will never walk again. Neave, now 18, suffers from curvature of the spine, muscle loss, scar tissue, and deformed feet.

Systemic Failure

Retired lawyer Radd Seiger, who represents 25 affected families, said this wasn’t a rogue surgeon, but a rogue system. He called for a judge-led public inquiry and the resignation of CUH’s chief executive. The chief executive has stated that he will not resign and that the trust is implementing plans to put patients at the heart of future services.

Response from the Hospital

The chief executive of CUH said he was sorry to hear Neave’s story and promised to meet patients to hear their feedback. He added that the trust is committed to making changes to ensure that this doesn’t happen again. The Care Quality Commission is reviewing the findings to determine whether regulatory action is required.

Investigation Ongoing

A separate audit examining around 700 planned and 100 emergency operations involving the surgeon is still ongoing. The Verita report concluded that earlier actions by CUH could have reduced the damage. A crucial missed opportunity was the CUH’s failure to respond to a 2016 external review of the surgeon’s work.