Children operated on by now-suspended surgeon 'are being let down again', lawyer warns

Children who underwent operations with a now-suspended surgeon at a Cambridge hospital are being let down again by a lack of information and transparency from the hospital's trust, according to a lawyer representing one of the families.

Last month, Addenbrooke's Hospital announced it had contacted the families of nine children whose complex hip surgeries "fell below" the expected standard, following an external review.

The orthopaedic surgeon, who has not been named, has since been suspended while a second external review is carried out.

But families are said to be "frustrated" by a lack of communication from Addenbrooke's, which is yet to release the findings of the first review.

A lawyer instructed by one of the families has accused Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust of failing to follow official guidance in their handling of the patients and their families.

Catherine Slattery, associate solicitor at Irwin Mitchell, told Sky News: "Families should feel they are being supported through this process, and that their child is the centre of this investigation.

The National Patient Recall Framework - for patients "recalled" by a healthcare provider after a problem has been identified - states that the patient's needs should "always be placed at the centre" of the process.

The guidance adds: "There should be appropriate and compassionate engagement with patients to ensure that the process remains patient focused."

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Source: Sky News, 19 March 2025