Executive summary to the investigation report prepared on behalf of the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust (5 March 2024)

Summary

This report outlines the findings of an independent investigation into the conduct of a spinal consultant, Doctor F, who formerly worked at Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust (now part of the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust).

Content

The investigation looks at accusations made by a group of 16 staff that Dr F had:

• a history of negligent and fraudulent clinical practice that had led to patient harm
• examined patients in way that did not respect their dignity
• bullied and intimidated staff members, including making unsolicited sexual contact.

Doctor F was also having an affair with a senior manager at the Trust, and the group believed this led to Doctor F being protected during investigations.

During the investigation, it came to light that Doctor F was the subject of an ongoing investigation into the death of a patient, Patient A, who died during surgery while under the care of Doctor F. Following this information becoming available, the investigation focused significant effort on examining what led to the death of Patient A, and what action the Trust took or did not take following their death.

The report also details harms to other patients of Doctor F, including:

• a paused operation which didn't proceed to the next phase for 90 minutes with no communication with senior colleagues.
• poor preoperative documentation and consent processes
• a spinal procedure involving multiple misplaced screws and a life-threatening haemorrhage due to direct vessel damage.

The report's author says that the patients and/or their families should receive a full and transparent explanation and an apology for the level of care they received from Doctor F and the Trust.