Three dead after hospital failed to stop rogue consultant

Patients with lung disease suffered harm or died after treatment was repeatedly delayed or replaced with alternatives which had no evidence base, an independent review has found.

The Royal College of Physicians was commissioned by Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals Trust to review the care of 30 patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) treated by Veronica Varney, a former consultant respiratory physician.

It found the majority of patients came to moderate harm or worse, with failures including delayed referrals, keeping patients on clinical trials after they were halted and prescribing treatments with no evidence base for the condition.

The 30 affected patients are a sample of 216 patients with ILD, which the trust previously found received poor care. Many of these patients have since died.

The review graded 12 cases as causing “severe clinical harm” and three as resulting in death.

The review found that Dr Varney “initiated non-evidence-based and off-label treatments for ILD”, including advising patients to avoid covid and flu vaccines and rapeseed oil, and prescribing medications not intended for ILD.

It said treatment decisions “were not consistently supported by clinical guidelines and were not always clearly documented as having been discussed with the patient or colleagues”.

Dr Varney was “reportedly instructed to cease non-evidence-based ILD treatments”, but the practice continued.

“The lack of monitoring at this point was a missed opportunity to ensure compliance and patient safety,” the report said.

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Source: HSJ, 9 July 2026