An NHS hospital trust has suspended an orthopaedic surgeon who specialises in treating children after a probe found care fell below standards.
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said an external review was ordered in October after concerns were raised by staff.
It looked at a number of complex paediatric hip surgeries carried out by an individual over the past two-and-a-half years.
Our chief executive, Roland Sinker, has released a statement about an external review completed at the beginning of this year.
— Cambridge University Hospitals NHS (@CUH_NHS) February 14, 2025
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A statement from the trust’s chief executive, Roland Sinker, said the investigation found treatment provided to nine children was “below the standard we would expect”.
The statement added: “The review does not suggest that any of the outcomes were life threatening but for some has impacted on their quality of life.
“We are very sorry that this has happened and we apologise unreservedly to our patients and their families.”
Mr Sinker said the trust had “restricted the individual’s clinical practice” as a precautionary measure last year, and following the outcome of the review, they were suspended and are “fully co-operating with the trust’s process”.
We take this matter extremely seriously and are committed to ensuring all affected patients and families receive appropriate care and support
The trust is now contacting the patients and their families to schedule appointments and undergo further clinical assessments where required.
Mr Sinker said: “We take this matter extremely seriously and are committed to ensuring all affected patients and families receive appropriate care and support.
“We have also put in place arrangements to commission a further external review into all of the planned surgical operations carried out by the individual during their employment with the trust.
“This will review the quality of care received by those patients.
“While this retrospective review will take time, we are committed to fully examining all of the cases and we will be proactive in contacting patients and their families in any case where we identify the possibility that there has been a poorer than expected outcome from their treatment.”
He added that Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has informed the General Medical Council, NHS England and the Care Quality Commission.
