Thread: Foreign surgeons flown to UK to cut waiting times 'botched o

Foreign surgeons flown to UK to cut waiting times 'botched one in three operations'

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 4:53 PM on 28th August 2009

Comments 16

Terry Heath from Lockleaze who is taking Weston General Hospital to Court following a botched knee operation.

Terry Heath is suing Weston General Hospital over a knee operation

A hospital which flew in Scandinavian surgeons to reduce waiting times is being sued after it was alleged that one third of the operations carried out were botched.

Surgeons from Sweden, Denmark and Finland were flown into Britain between 2003 and 2006 as part of a £3million scheme to speed up hip and knee replacements.

But concerns were raised about the quality of the work carried out and many patients fear the surgeons were insufficiently trained or skilled.

More than one third of people operated on at Weston-super-Mare General Hospital (WGH), Somerset, had an unsatisfactory result and six legal cases are now being considered.

Terry Heath, 65, who lives with wife Patricia in Bristol, is taking the hospital to court after a botched knee replacement operation left him unable to walk without crutches.

The former Airbus worker said his life has been 'changed completely' by the overseas surgeon's mistake.

Terry said: 'When I got the phone call about Weston hospital getting Swedish surgeons over to ease waiting lists I said if they are genuine surgeons I will have it done.

'I didn't think they would have spent all that money bringing them over if they were not up to the job. But I would not have had it done if I had known about this.

'This has changed our lives completely. I can't even get in the bath.

'I was always active and would have worked until I was 70 if this had not happened but I have just deteriorated.'

Keen golfer Terry underwent replacement knee surgery at WGH in 2004 but had to be operated on again one year later to correct mistakes.

But four years later, he is still suffering from severe pain and cannot walk without crutches.

Terry, who suffers from a condition which means he has shorter than average limbs, has now launched a claim for damages against the hospital.

His case will be heard next June and his solicitor Richard Barcan is now investigating whether the Scandinavian surgeon who operated on him was properly trained.

Mr Barcan said: 'That sort of information we have not been given at the moment, yet it is so far down the line.

'In the meantime we cannot do anything to improve Mr Heath's life.'

In 2004, consultant David Shewring sent letters to his patients claiming overseas doctors employed by Weston Area Health Trust (WAHT) may not have been skilled enough to carry out operations.

In May this year it emerged that more than one third of patients operated on by Scandinavian surgeons in WGH had an unsatisfactory result.

At least six of these people have sought legal help and are considering claiming damages against the hospital.

WAHT, which runs the hospital, is currently conducting a review into the use of overseas surgeons which is due to be completed later this year.

A spokeswoman for WGH said she was unable to comment on the matter due to ongoing legal proceedings.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z0RfjVv5KG

We will have this kind of stuff and worse to look forward to if obama pushes the healthcare bill through against our will.