A review has found that a former NHS consultant gave outdated and incorrect medical advice, including advising patients against flu and COVID-19 vaccinations, which contributed to the deaths of three individuals and caused permanent harm to others. Dr. Veronica Varney, who worked as a respiratory consultant at St. Helier Hospital in south London, also provided patients with unverified advice to avoid rapeseed oil.
The investigation, conducted by the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), examined 28 patient cases between 2019 and 2022, focusing on patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD). The review found that Dr. Varney did not engage with the multidisciplinary team approach required for personalized ILD treatment plans. Previously, it was reported that 30% of the 216 ILD patients treated by Dr. Varney received no care, 42% were not referred to specialists, and 20% were not properly diagnostically investigated.
According to the report, Dr. Varney frequently recommended off-label and outdated treatments. Three patients died due to a lack of access to treatments that might have extended their lives. One case saw a two-year delay in initiating immunosuppression treatment, with appropriate therapy only starting after complications had developed, despite the patient's declining health. Another patient was told their symptoms were due to poor fitness and was given dietary advice instead of treatment. A further patient was not referred to a specialist ILD multidisciplinary team meeting for a year, leading to missed opportunities for earlier intervention.
In addition to the deaths, 12 other patients suffered permanent or long-term harm, and seven cases did not receive treatments that could have improved their quality of life or required further procedures. The report stated that delays or deviations from guideline-based care potentially contributed to irreversible lung damage, poor quality of life, or premature death. Dr. Varney also demonstrated a poor interpretation of lung function tests and inaccuracies in reporting diagnostic results.
The report also criticized the hospital trust, St George's, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals and Health Group (Gesh), for not sufficiently addressing concerns raised about Dr. Varney since 2019. The trust acknowledged the harm caused and stated that all recommendations from the RCP report have been accepted and acted upon. Gesh has contacted affected patients or their families to share the findings, apologize, and offer support. The trust is undertaking a further 12-to-24-month review of all ILD patients treated by Dr. Varney from 2019.