Heart surgeon's failures contributed to multiple deaths

Seven people have died following multiple failures by a heart surgeon who continues to work for the NHS, the BBC has learned.

An NHS investigation found problems in Karen Booth's cases included clinical errors, carrying out operations she wasn't skilled or experienced enough to perform and not calling for help when she should have.

Serious concerns about Ms Booth's performance at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle were first raised by her colleagues in 2018 - but the hospital did not launch an investigation until 2021. Ms Booth is currently working as a mentor to other surgeons at the Freeman, which plans to allow her to resume her surgical career shortly.

Karen Booth "should never [again] practise as a surgeon", said the family of one man who died after being operated on by her.

The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the Freeman, did not respond to most of the questions put to it by the BBC, including why it thought it appropriate to let Ms Booth resume her surgical career.

The trust did however point to a problematic working culture in the cardiac unit at the time of the failures, while internal reports have criticised poor governance procedures and a reluctance from senior staff to take responsibility over safety concerns.

Read full story

Source: BBC News, 2 October 2025