A surgeon at Addenbrooke's Hospital has been suspended since March 2024, prompting calls for a public inquiry into the care provided to numerous patients. The trust is preparing to share its final findings from an independent review, expected to be critical, with affected patients and their families in November.
Families have voiced their loss of trust in the hospital and the review process. Natasha, whose 19-year-old daughter Neave was among those under the surgeon's care, is advocating for a public inquiry into how children were harmed. "Some of our clients, who are children, endured major surgery they didn't need, which had no positive impact on their lives, and left them in pain for years afterwards," stated Elizabeth Maliakal, a solicitor representing several families. Maliakal anticipates the final report will be "damning," noting that "fatal harm was caused in at least one case, and many, many more were harmed."
The trust's chief executive, Nicola Ayton, expressed deep apologies to the patients and families affected by care that fell below expected standards. "This should never have happened and we are making changes so that something like this could not happen again," Ayton said. The surgeon's legal representatives declined to comment on the developing report.