Obstetrics and Gynaecology review
University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Trust is reviewing the past treatment provided by one of its consultants in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. An initial 58 cases have been independently reviewed, primarily regarding gynaecology outpatient and surgical treatment. For eight of these cases we have identified lapses in care which have resulted in unnecessary harm.
The Trust has this week written to all 58 patients advising them that their past treatment has been thoroughly reviewed. The review was set up following concerns expressed by members of the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Team regarding the practice of their consultant colleague, raised in late 2018. The consultant involved has not undertaken clinical activity at the Trust since June 2018.
Furthermore, the Trust has asked NHS England to establish an independent clinical review of the wider work of this consultant, which will conclude fully following the Covid-19 pandemic. To do this the Trust has contacted 136 women who were patients of this consultant and who received a major obstetric or gynaecological intervention in the three years prior to this development to ask them to engage in the review process.
Both groups represent all women who may have been affected and each has already been contacted by the Trust and invited to contribute to the review.
Dr Magnus Harrison, UHDB Executive Medical Director, said: “I would like to express my sincere regret and apologies to any patients who may have received a standard of care that is below that expected. The Trust took immediate action as soon as serious concerns about specific aspects of this consultant's practice were brought to our attention.
"These concerns were raised by the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Team themselves in a clear demonstration of their commitment to the highest quality of patient care and their duty to work in an open and transparent way. We will be working closely with NHS England to establish the full facts and will provide all the necessary support they need during their review.”
The review is necessarily complex and will determine whether patients have been managed appropriately and whether any harm has been caused by any deficiencies in their care. In writing to the patients this week the Trust informed them that their patient records will be confidentially shared as part of the NHS England review.
​Members of the public are asked not to call the hospital switchboard in relation to this issue as all those patients who are potentially affected at this stage have already been contacted directly. However, anyone needing further reassurance should contact the Derby Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS), full details of how to get in touch are here https://www.uhdb.nhs.uk/patient-advice-and-liaison-service-pals. Once the review is complete the anonymised findings will be published on our website.