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Inside Britain’s flagship Covid lab that no one knows what to do with

It was hailed as a cutting-edge laboratory that would play a key role in response to Covid-19 and future epidemics, carrying out 300,000 tests a day.

Announcing the project in November 2020, then-health secretary Matt Hancock said the project “confirms the UK as a world leader in diagnostics”.

But less than 18 months later, the Rosalind Franklin Laboratory – named in honour of the renowned British scientist – has been plagued by failure while costing almost twice as much as its initial £588m budget, The Independent understands.

Instead of being at the forefront of the fight against Covid, the project opened six months late, facing a string of issues with equipment, staff and construction, with barely 20% of its touted capacity being reached.

Now, as the government winds down its “lighthouse” testing labs as part of the plan to “live with Covid”, leaving the Leamington Spa facility as the last lab standing, there are questions about the future of the site – and whether it would be able to cope with the nation’s testing needs alone if another deadly wave of Covid were to emerge.

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Source: The Independent, 28 April 2022

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Inside an NHS ‘barn theatre’ with four operations done at once

Music from the Spice Girls is blaring out from speakers as the surgeon Paddy Subramanian grabs a bone saw and gets to work on Jacqueline Carby’s left knee. The 78-year-old is one of four patients being operated on side by side in the same room at an NHS hospital in north London.

Each of the four operating zones in the vast “barn theatre” is a hive of activity; with half a dozen staff in scrubs buzzing around the foot of each bed, hovering over trays holding an array of surgical tools required to perform routine knee and hip replacements. The surgeons’ soundtrack of choice — jaunty Nineties pop tunes — is punctuated only by the noise of drills, saws and of metal hammering away at bone.

The pioneering barn theatre complex at Chase Farm Hospital, part of the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, has been designed to ensure doctors get through as many operations as possible, as quickly and safely as possible. In a week when a report by Lord Darzi criticised the lack of productivity in crumbling hospitals, it provides an example of the NHS at its most ruthlessly slick and efficient.

The large open-plan theatre equipped with cutting-edge air canopies that ensure infection cannot spread between the four beds. Compared with traditional single operating theatres it offers the crucial advantage of allowing consultant surgeons to supervise numerous operations at once.

Subramanian, a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at the hospital, said: “It is super efficient. There is no bed wasted, and no time wasted. We can do four hip replacements in the same room. One consultant can supervise two parallel operating tables. Communication and the sharing of expertise is key in surgery. Registrars [trainee surgeons] can stick their hand up and ask for help or a second opinion. It is much safer and better for patients and staff.”

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Source: The Times, 16 September 2024

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Inside an ICU: how long can we stay calm in the face of the coronavirus crisis?

Matt Morgan, an intensive care doctor, describes in this Guardian article how his ICU are preparing for the coronavirus crisis.

"ICUs are as prepared as they can be. Locally business as usual has made way for preparations for caring for high numbers of patients. We are finding every ventilator we may have and identifying every suitably qualified member of staff. We will work together to fill gaps as best we can.

There’s a sense of anticipation about what the next eight, 10, 12 weeks are going to bring in terms of work. Anyone who works in healthcare is also a mum, dad, daughter, brother, son. We want to give everything to saving lives and work and care, but equally we’re thinking about the logistics of personal lives and elderly relatives too."

Matt says his worst nightmare is having insufficient workforce and equipment to meet patient needs. Whether or not that will come to fruition is tough to predict. 

He also says that his ICU has a psychologist who’s doing a huge amount of thinking about putting in place wellbeing resources for staff who might be in moral distress after having to prioritise one patient over another.

"If there are 500 patients and only 200 ventilators then that’s when we need national guidance from the government and other bodies. It can’t be up to individual doctors. The age of playing God is long behind us. The question is who should we be making decisions with: the public, government or within the profession?"

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Source: The Guardian, 13 March 2020

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Inquiry to be held into north-east England NHS trust after patient deaths

A public inquiry will be held into the failures of a north-east NHS foundation after the deaths of several patients, Wes Streeting has confirmed.

The health secretary made the announcement in Darlington, speaking to the families of patients who died while receiving treatment from hospitals run by Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS foundation trust, which is headquartered in the County Durham town.

The inquiry will look into the number of the trust’s patients who took their own lives in the past decade, which the Department of Health and Social Care called “concerning”.

Three of the people known to have died while under the trust’s care were the 17-year-olds Nadia Sharif and Christie Harnett, who killed themselves at West Lane hospital in Middlesbrough in June and August 2019 respectively, and 18-year-old Emily Moore, who died in February 2020 after a week at Lanchester Road hospital in County Durham.

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Source: The Guardian, 11 December 2025.

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Inquiry opens into alleged patient abuse at Muckamore Abbey

A public inquiry has opened into allegations of extensive and repeated abuse of patients at Muckamore Abbey, a hospital for vulnerable adults in Northern Ireland.

The inquiry’s chair, Tom Kark, said at the first hearing on Monday that the allegations of abuse and neglect at the psychiatric facility outside Belfast, in County Antrim, brought the medical, nursing and care professions into disrepute.

“Many of the parents and relatives and carers who trusted the hospital have been let down and they are understandably furious and some feel guilty,” he said. Kark, a QC, said a civilised society had a duty to care for people with learning disabilities and mental illness.

Police have arrested 34 people and more than 70 staff have been suspended as a precaution since the alleged abuse came to light in 2017. The police investigation will proceed in parallel to the inquiry. Detectives have viewed about 300,000 hours of CCTV footage from the hospital.

Relatives of patients hope the inquiry will shed light on accounts of mental and physical abuse and neglect at what used to be considered one of the best facilities of its kind in Northern Ireland. The hospital currently has about 60 patients, down from about 1,500 in the 1980s.

“Without pre-determining any issues, it’s quite obvious that bad practices were allowed to persist at the hospital to the terrible detriment to a number of patients,” Kark told the inquiry.

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Source: The Guardian, 6 June 2022

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Inquiry launched into 'repeated' maternity failings at Leeds NHS trust

After years of campaigning, bereaved families in Leeds have been told they will get a fully independent inquiry into local maternity services.

The inquiry was announced by Health Secretary Wes Streeting who said he was "shocked" that the families faced "repeated maternity failures... made worse by the unacceptable response of the trust".

Despite running one of the largest teaching hospitals in Europe, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust "remains an outlier on perinatal mortality", according to official data.

In June, the Care Quality Commission downgraded maternity services at the trust to "inadequate", describing serious risks to women and babies and a deep-rooted "blame culture" that left staff afraid to speak up.

Grieving families have welcomed the launch of the inquiry.

In 2023, an inquest concluded Fiona Winser-Ramm and Daniel Ramm's first baby, Aliona, died in 2020 as a result of neglect from medical staff.

Mr Ramm said the inquiry had been "a long time coming".

"We have, as a group of families, spent years trying to essentially expose what the problems have been at least that we've known have existed all along," he said.

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Source: Sky News, 20 October 2025

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Inquiry into Welsh healthcare-acquired Covid cases concludes

Investigations into the unusually high number of healthcare-acquired COVID-19 incidents recorded during the pandemic's onset have concluded, says NHS Wales.

Between March 2020 and April 2022, there were 18,360 suspected cases of healthcare-acquired COVID-19 in Wales. Despite being in healthcare settings, patients in hospitals and other in-patient environments faced an increased risk of hospital-acquired COVID-19. 

In response to this, the National Nosocomial COVID-19 Programme was set up in April 2022 as a collective membership of health boards and trusts in Wales, supported by the NHS Wales Executive. Following the review process, a new report from NHS Wales has identified a number of 'national learning themes' which include the benefits of bereavement support, and the importance of clear family communication in times of restricted visits.

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Source: South Wales Argus, 15 August 2024

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Inquiry into safety and wellbeing concerns at two hospitals

A public inquiry will be held to examine safety and wellbeing issues at the new children's hospital in Edinburgh and the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow. The inquiry will determine how vital issues relating to ventilation and other key building systems occurred. It will also look at how to avoid mistakes in future projects.

In January, it was confirmed two patients had died after contracting a fungal infection caused by pigeon droppings at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital. Health Secretary Jeane Freeman later ordered a review of the design of the building and said there was an "absolute focus on patient safety". 

Meanwhile, the new £150m Royal Hospital for Children and Young People in Edinburgh has been dogged by delays over health concerns. The hospital was supposed to open in 2017 - but will now not be ready until next autumn at the earliest - after problems with the specification of the ventilation system.

Scottish Labour's Monica Lennon said the inquiry was "the only way to get to the bottom of this outrageous series of errors". She added: "Children in Scotland are being let down because the hospitals they were promised are not fit for purpose. We have two hospitals built by the same contractor that are mired in controversy, and all the while patients are suffering. The public need to know the truth of what has gone so badly wrong at these two vital hospitals."

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Source: BBC News, 17 September 2019

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Inquiry into rogue breast surgeon to call for changes to private hospital safety

An independent inquiry is expected to call for major changes in the way private hospitals supervise doctors after hundreds of women were put through unnecessary operations by a rogue breast surgeon.

Ian Paterson was jailed for 20 years in 2017 after being convicted of 13 counts of wounding with intent and three counts of unlawful wounding. But his surgical malpractice may have harmed more than 750 women over more than a decade.

He carried out unnecessary surgery for breast cancer on women who did not have the disease, and put other women who did at risk by using his own unofficial technique, which left behind partial breast tissue.

On Tuesday an inquiry chaired by the Bishop of Norwich, the Right Reverend Graham James, will be published and is expected to make recommendations about how doctors are allowed to work across both the NHS and private sector with minimal supervision and oversight.

One key area of focus is expected to be a process known as “practising privileges”, where private hospitals allow clinicians to carry out their own activities within the hospital, similar to self-employed contractors. They effectively rent the hospital space for their work.

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Source: The Independent, 2 February 2020

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Inquiry into major UK maternity scandal slams NHS for failure to consult Black and Asian families

An inquiry into maternity care failings at an NHS trust that left dozens of babies dead or brain-damaged is “wholly insufficient” because only a fraction of Black and Asian women have come forward, its chair has warned.

Donna Ockenden, who is leading a review into Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, suggested the health service must do more to increase the number of responses from ethnic minorities if the trust is to learn from the scandal.

Less than 20 families from Black and Asian communities are currently involved in the inquiry, compared to more than 250 white families, The Independent understands.

It is understood letters have only been sent out in English, while Ms Ockenden pointed to examples of women being unable to access translation services and expectant Muslim mothers being turned away if they objected to male sonographers.

She said the communities’ “mistrust” towards the trust had “deepened”, leaving the review team “climbing a mountain” to engage with them.

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Source: The Independent, 18 May 2023

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Inquiry into deaths after Northern Ireland ambulance delays

The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) is investigating whether a delayed response contributed to the deaths of eight people in recent weeks.

All eight deaths occurred between 12 December and the start of January.

The NIAS is treating four of the deaths as serious adverse incidents, which is defined as an incident that led to unintended or unexpected harm.

The remaining four deaths are being investigated to see whether they meet that criteria.

The patients' identities have not been disclosed, but it is understood one of the eight people was a man who waited more than nine hours for an ambulance in mid-December.

The man's condition deteriorated and he died before paramedics arrived.

The delays are a cause of "great concern," but there is "no end in sight to the pressures we are facing," according to the ambulance service's medical director Nigel Ruddell.

He said the ambulance service conducts an internal review whenever "there is a delayed response to the call and a poor outcome from the call" to see whether delays contributed to a death.

"That process involves liaising with the family and being open and clear with them about what happened on the day - whether it was because of pressures and demand on the day or whether there was something that, potentially, we could have done better."

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Source: BBC News, 4 January 2022

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Inquiry into claims Nottingham victim records were accessed

A hospital trust is investigating reports staff may have "inappropriately" accessed the medical records of the three people killed in the Nottingham attacks.

Barnaby Webber and Grace O'Malley-Kumar, both 19, and Ian Coates, 65, were stabbed to death by Valdo Calocane in the city in June 2023.

Dr Manjeet Shehmar, medical director at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, said the trust was investigating "concerns that members of staff may have inappropriately accessed the medical records" of the three victims.

She said the families had been informed of the investigation and would be updated.

"The families of Ian, Grace, and Barnaby have already had to endure much pain and heartache and I'm truly sorry that this will add further to their suffering," Dr Shehmar said.

"Through our investigation, we will find out what happened and will not hesitate to take action as necessary."

The claims of the medical records being accessed inappropriately were first reported by the Daily Mirror, external.

The newspaper quoted the victims' families as saying the alleged actions were "sickening" and "not just alleged data breaches but gross invasions of privacy and civil liberty".

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Source: BBC News, 6 March 2025

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Inquiry head to meet failing maternity bosses

Donna Ockenden, who is leading an independent review examining how dozens of babies died or were injured at the Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) trust, is due to meet with chief executive of NUH, Anthony May, and other members of the NUH executive team.

Speaking ahead of the meeting, she said: "The commitment I want to give to the women and families of Nottingham is that real learning, real improvement in maternity safety will happen throughout the life of this review.

"It won't be a case of waiting until the end and then presenting the trust with a huge amount of learning that they then have to start putting in place.

"Today's meeting with the trust is at executive level. Along with colleagues from NHS England, I'll be meeting with the chief executive and some of his colleagues to talk about how we will ensure that learning reaches the trust on a regular basis and in a timely way so families can be assured that the maternity improvement plan is including learning from our review."

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Source: BBC News, 2 February 2023

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Inquiry examining thousands of deaths will not report until 2028

A high-profile inquiry into mental health deaths will not be complete until at least 2028, after its chair announced a delay to its timeline.

The Lampard inquiry, set up to examine at least 2,000 deaths over a 23-year period, was made statutory in 2023. Closing hearings had originally been expected to take place, with recommendations issued in 2027.

However, chair Baroness Kate Lampard today announced final hearings will now take place in June 2027, with findings pushed back to 2028.

In a statement, she said hearings planned for April would be “vacated… to permit sufficient time to undertake [the inquiry’s] investigative work and collate related evidence”.

Baroness Lampard said the inquiry had experienced delays to obtaining witness statements and documents, particularly from the main provider, Essex Partnership University Foundation Trust. The FT was a “clinical service with competing priorities”, she said.

The delays in receiving information had “impacted the ability of the inquiry to progress investigations and other work as quickly as I would like”.

Recent statements from lawyers for families involved have also accused the inquiry of being “inexcusably silent” on its timetable and being at risk of failing in its duties.

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Source: HSJ, 28 January 2026

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Inquiry exaggerated trust death toll, claims CEO

A trust chief executive has suggested an inquiry team looking at 2,000 deaths is lacking in “expertise” and has created a “disproportionate impression” of the problems at his trust.

Essex Partnership University Trust is at the centre of a high-profile inquiry into the deaths of patients over a 20-year period, which was sparked after serious concerns were raised over specific cases.

The inquiry, led by Geraldine Strathdee, a former national clinical director for mental health, is reviewing the cases of 2,000 people who died while they were patients on a mental health ward in Essex or within three months of being discharged.

In a letter to the inquiry, obtained by HSJ through a freedom of information request, trust chief executive officer Paul Scott wrote: “The headline number of c.1,500 or c.2,000 deaths used in publicity by the inquiry is, in my opinion, not a fair reflection of the deaths that would be of interest to the inquiry.”

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Source: HSJ, 1 March 2023

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Inquiry delay ‘making CEOs look silly’

The lack of information given to trusts likely to be involved in a national maternity investigation due to complete this year is making leaders “look silly” in front of staff, a major trust chief executive has said.

Mid and South Essex Foundation Trust boss Matthew Hopkins told HSJ he wanted clarity over whether his organisation would definitely be involved, as ministers have already suggested, and what this would entail.

Health secretary Wes Streeting announced plans for a national probe into maternity and neonatal services two months ago, with around 10 trusts likely to be covered in the review.

He named MSEFT among the trusts “very likely” to be included.

But, despite plans for the review to be completed by Christmas, this has not yet been formally confirmed, and neither have the full terms of reference for what will be within the investigation’s scope.

Mr Hopkins said: “It’s quite difficult for me when I go and say to the teams, ‘we think we’re involved but we don’t know. We don’t know what the process is going to be’.”

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Source: HSJ, 27 August 2025

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Inquiry chair: No time to ‘co-produce’ with families

Families have been told they cannot “co-produce” an investigation into how they were failed by maternity services because of the “timetable given” by government.

Several of the families who have been in talks over the Amos investigation told HSJ they were losing faith in the process.

They are also concerned about what they say is a failure so far to involve Donna Ockenden, a senior midwife and lead of previous maternity reviews.

Wes Streeting announced the “rapid, national investigation” in June, saying it would be “co-produced to include the families who have suffered the worst injustices of maternity care”.

But in a letter to Lauren Caulfield, who gave birth to a stillborn daughter at Leeds General Infirmary in 2022, inquiry chair Baroness Amos said: “I have undertaken to consult as widely as possible. I regret that co-production is not possible within the timetable given for a rapid investigation.”

Baroness Amos was appointed in the summer and is expected to report by the end of this year.

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Source: HSJ, 16 October 2025

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Inquiry chair praises courage of victims' families

The chair of an inquiry into more than 2,000 mental health-related deaths in Essex has praised the "courage and candour" of victims’ families.

The Lampard Inquiry is investigating the deaths of people in the care of mental health services in Essex between 2000 and 2023.

The inquiry, which has been sitting for the last three weeks, has now adjourned until November.

Baroness Lampard said that statements from bereaved families “had made a lasting impression” on her.

More than 40 people have given commemorative statements so far, telling the inquiry about their loved ones and what kind of people they were before they died.

Addressing the inquiry on its final day before an adjournment, Baroness Lampard said the opening statements had been “thought-provoking”.

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Source: BBC News, 25 September 2024

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Inquiry begins into blanket use in England of Covid 'do not resuscitate' orders

An urgent investigation into blanket orders not to resuscitate care home residents has been launched amid fears some elderly people may still be affected by the “unacceptable” practice.

After COVID-19 cases rose slightly in care homes in England in the last week, with 116 residences handling at least one infection, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) said it was developing the scope of its investigation “at pace” and it would cover care homes, primary care and hospitals.

In March and April, there were reports that some GPs had applied “do not attempt resuscitation” (DNAR) notices to groups of care home residents that meant people would not be taken to hospital for potentially life-saving care. This was being done without their consent or with little information to allow them to make informed decisions, the CQC said. Cases emerged in care homes in Wales and East Sussex.

Care homes said the blanket use of the orders did not appear to be as prevalent ahead of a possible second wave of infections and families were reporting fewer concerns, although that could be because visiting restrictions meant they had less access to the homes and were getting less information.

There are also concerns that steps may not have been taken to review DNAR forms added to care home residents’ medical files, and so they could remain in place, without proper consent.

The CQC review will examine the use of “do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation” (DNACPR) notices, which only restrict chest compressions and shocks to the heart.

Dr Rachel Clarke, a palliative care expert in Oxford, has described the CPR process as “muscular, aggressive, traumatic” and said it often resulted in broken ribs and intubation. The review will also investigate the use of broader do not resuscitate and other anticipatory care orders.

“We heard from our members about some pretty horrific examples of [blanket notices] early in the pandemic, but it does not appear to be happening now,” said Vic Rayner, the executive director of the National Care Forum, which represents independent care homes. “DNAR notices should not be applied across settings and must be only used as part of individual care plans.”

It will also investigate the use of broader do not resuscitate and other anticipatory care orders.

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Source: The Guardian, 12 October 2020

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Inquiry after butt lift patients are hospitalised

A council is investigating after people ended up in hospital following Brazilian butt lift procedures.

Brentwood Borough Council in Essex wants to hear from anyone in the area who has had the non-surgical work done.

The procedure - also known as BBL or Liquid BBL - which uses a hyaluronic acid filler, is not illegal but is currently unregulated and can be fatal if not performed properly.

The council said "an individual and associated companies" in Brentwood had been banned from carrying out BBL procedures until any risks had been "controlled".

Environmental health officers were "investigating cases of hospitalisation due to members of the public undergoing a non-surgical aesthetic procedure, commonly known as a Brazilian Butt Lift, BBL or Liquid BBL in Brentwood," the council said.

It is working with other local authorities and industry experts after a flurry of cases raised concern, including reports of treatment being carried out in hotel rooms.

A spokesperson from Brentwood Borough Council said: "Individuals who have undergone these procedures have experienced excruciating pain, discomfort and infections, some of which have required medical interventions and hospitalisation."

They urged anyone experiencing symptoms to "seek medical assistance immediately".

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Source: BBC News, 4 July 2024

 
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Inquests to be held into deaths of new mothers who died from herpes

A coroner will investigate the deaths of two women from herpes following childbirth, amid fears they contracted the virus from their surgeon.

Kim Sampson, 29, and Samantha Mulcahy, 32, died weeks apart after their babies were delivered by caesarean section at different hospitals in Kent.

Their families have campaigned for answers as to whether they contracted the infection from their surgeon, after a BBC investigation found the women were treated by the same person.

Sampson’s mother, Yvette, said: “We’ve wanted this since Kim died in 2018 – it’s been a long time coming. We hope we are finally going to get answers to the questions we’ve always had – both for ourselves and for Kim’s children.”

Herpes infections are commonly found in the genitals and on the face, often with mild symptoms. Sampson’s baby boy, her second child, was delivered at Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother hospital in Margate in May 2018, but she died at the end of the month in hospital in London after becoming infected.

In July the same year, first-time mother Mulcahy died from an infection caused by the virus at William Harvey hospital in Ashford.

Sampson’s family requested documents from Public Health England which revealed emails from the trust, some NHS bodies, staff at PHE, and a private lab.

The messages showed that the same two clinicians – a midwife and the surgeon who carried out the C-sections – had been involved in both births.

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Source: The Guardian, 30 December 2021

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Inquests to be held for patients of jailed breast surgeon Ian Paterson

Inquests will be held into the deaths of at least 36 patients – and potentially dozens more – treated by the jailed former breast surgeon Ian Paterson.

As the fallout of one of the most horrific medical scandals in the history of the NHS continues, a pre-inquest review hearing at Birmingham and Solihull coroner’s court on Friday heard that 417 of Paterson’s cases where breast cancer was listed as the immediate cause of death had been examined.

Paterson, who attended the hearing remotely from prison, was sentenced to 15 years in jail in 2017, later increased to 20 years, for carrying out needless surgery on patients who were left traumatised and scarred.

Inquests have been confirmed in 36 cases, with a further 21 cases deemed likely to need an inquest after “preliminary” investigations. Another 36 cases are still to be reviewed.

The judge Richard Foster said a further 130 cases had been reported to the coroner where breast cancer was listed as contributing to death. A review of a selection of those cases was being carried out and a decision on whether they should all be reviewed would be made on its completion, he said.

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Source: The Guardian, 9 June 3023

 

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Inquest to open over deaths of patients treated by breast surgeon Ian Paterson

When Stuart Coyne received a letter to say his wife’s death, now 16 years ago, was being investigated to see if she had died unnecessarily after being operated on by the disgraced surgeon Ian Paterson, he was taken aback.

“It was a shock; it came out of the blue. When Catherine died, we all thought that she’d had the best treatment for the breast cancer that she had,” said Coyne, 70, who lives in Solihull. “Now, of course, it raises that question – would she still be here today?”

On Monday, an inquest into the deaths of 62 of Paterson’s former patients, thought to be one of the largest inquests ever held in the UK, will commence at Birmingham and Solihull coroner’s court.

A team of doctors reviewed hundreds of cases to identify patients they believed might have “died an unnatural death as a result of Ian Paterson’s actions”.

Paterson, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence after being found guilty of 17 counts of wounding with intent, is due to give evidence. The first day of the inquest hearing will consider his application for legal aid, which is being opposed by lawyers representing the victims.

A report published in 2020 found that Paterson subjected more than 1,000 NHS and private healthcare patients in the West Midlands to unnecessary and damaging operations over 14 years before he was stopped.

This included convincing patients to undergo surgery by exaggerating the risk of breast cancer, and performing unrecognised cleavage-sparing operations that left patients at risk of their cancer returning.

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Source: The Guardian, 7 October 2024

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Inquest may reopen into girl who died on rogue surgeon’s table

A coroner wants to reopen an inquest into the death of a teenager who died during an operation by a disgraced NHS surgeon.

The Sunday Times exposed a report in 2022 that said the once-renowned spinal surgeon John Bradley Williamson’s “unacceptable and unjustifiable” actions contributed to the death of 17-year-old Catherine O’Connor at Salford Royal Hospital in February 2007.

Greater Manchester police has concluded an investigation and passed its findings to the Bolton coroner, Timothy Brennand, who will seek permission to reopen the inquest. The teenager’s family believe they have evidence showing Williamson misled the initial inquest.

The prime minister intervened last week to promise a meeting with ministers after MPs raised dozens of other cases of patient harm linked to the surgeon, which they say need investigating. 

More than a dozen staff at Salford Royal, once hailed as the safest hospital in England, have spoken out about what they described as Williamson’s bullying, toxic behaviour and the unsafe surgery that left many of his patients with severe complications.

A review of 130 patients treated by Williamson between 2009 and 2014 found 23 had screws misplaced in their spines; five lost excessive blood during surgery; more than 40 had problems with consent; and in 35 cases there was poor surgical practice.

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Source: The Times, 25 January 2025

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Inquest into death of baby finds 'missed opportunities' in care of his pregnant mother

An inquest into the death of a baby boy who died two weeks after birth in a Sussex hospital has found there were missed opportunities in the care of his mother.

Orlando Davis was born by emergency caesarian section at Worthing Hospital, part of University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, on 10 September 2021 following a normal and low risk pregnancy.

He was born with no heartbeat and his parents were told he had suffered an irreversible brain injury after being starved of oxygen - after his mother Robyn Davis experienced seizures during labour, caused by a rare condition that went "completely unrecognised" by staff.

Orlando died in Robyn and husband Jonny’s arms on 24 September 2021 at 14 days old due to his catastrophic brain injury.

His mother had to be put in an induced coma, but has since recovered. But his parents say his death was avoidable.

Today at the inquest into Orlando's death, senior coroner, Ms Penelope Schofield said a lack of understanding of hyponatremia contributed to neglect of Orlando.

Mrs Davis had told the inquest: “I can’t explain the sadness, frustration, anger and complete heartbreak I felt and still feel towards the trust for not keeping us safe.

Mrs Davis continued: “The thing I cannot process is that I have lost my healthy, full-term son. I feel as if my son was taken from me in a circumstance that, in my personal and professional opinion, was completely preventable.

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Source: ITVX, 14 March 2024

 

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