Lawyers Contact Health Secretary Over Botched Ops

Lawyers representing much than 50 group treated by a surgeon being investigated complete allegations of botched operations person written to Health Secretary Wes Streeting calling for a nationalist inquiry.

The patients were children erstwhile they were operated connected by Kuldeep Stohr, and theirs are among 800 cases being reviewed by Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH) complete concerns they fell "below expected standards".

They see Amy, 16, who suffered "severe beingness harm". She said: "I consciousness for illustration my younker has been taken, but not conscionable my youth, my life."

The Department of Health and Social Care (DoH) said a nationalist reappraisal would look astatine really analyzable orthopaedic room was overseen.

The patients are demanding to cognize really nan surgeon was capable to practise unchecked, contempt warnings almost a decade earlier.

Amy, from Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, was 1 of nan first to person nan findings of an independent appraisal into her treatment.

Conducted by a sheet of outer clinicians, chaired by Andrew Kennedy KC, it said nan attraction "did not meet nan standards they would expect".

It raised concerns that surgeries were carried retired connected Amy's knees erstwhile she was nine, and her legs were still growing.

She was calved pinch Russell-Silver Syndrome, a uncommon maturation disorder, and her near limb was 3cm (1.2in) longer than her right.

In 2018, Ms Stohr said room was necessary.

But nan appraisal said metallic plates inserted into her longer limb to extremity it increasing were excessively big, causing symptom and requiring replacement.

"I wouldn't wish that symptom connected anyone. It was beautiful traumatising," said Amy.

"I was successful a treatment process, period aft month, and my friends would opportunity 'Do you want to spell out?' and I would opportunity 'I can't, I'm successful pain'.

"I missed retired connected truthful galore awesome opportunities because my beingness wellness was down."

Amy's correct limb was past allowed to turn excessively overmuch and ended up 3cm longer than her left.

"I retrieve crying and breaking down successful nan backmost of nan car, because I had truthful believed it was over," said Amy,

The family was informed Amy required further leg-lengthening room aliases could create spinal issues.

She was first operated connected by Ms Stohr, two-and-a-half-years aft a workfellow first raised concerns astir her believe successful 2015.

"It's nan truth Addenbrooke's had opportunities to reside concerns by colleagues, but thing ever came of it, and children, including Amy, whitethorn not person suffered" said Amy's mother, Sharon.

"Eight years and 4 procedures later, Amy tin walk, but she suffers from pain, and because of nan limb magnitude discrepancy, she places other unit connected her hip.

"Sadly, she has suffered physically and psychologically. She has been diagnosed pinch post-traumatic accent disorder."

Amy said: "My main mobility is 'Why me?'.

"I consciousness for illustration my younker has been taken, but not conscionable my youth, my life. There's been a batch of times wherever I've had to trim things short aliases spell location because I'm successful pain."

He added: "I americium saddened that this happened while Amy was nether our care. It should not person happened, and we are moving to instrumentality improvements to guarantee thing for illustration this cannot hap again."

An independent study into opportunities missed to place harm caused to Ms Stohr's patients was published past period by investigations institution Verita and recovered an outer reappraisal successful 2016 was not acted upon.

The writer of that earlier review, Robert Hill, a elder paediatric orthopaedic surgeon, said nan spot demonstrated "little, if any, penetration into nan issues confronting them".

Ms Stohr operated connected hundreds much patients, until she was suspended successful February 2025.

Mr Sinker said: "Last period we published an action scheme to reside nan findings of nan independent investigation into nan missed opportunities to person identified and addressed concerns sooner.

"In this scheme we item really we are improving objective governance, amended managing and supporting doctors, and encouraging a much unfastened civilization wherever concerns are raised and escalated sooner."

Maria Repanos of Hudgell Solicitors, representing Amy and her mother, said: "The findings of nan reappraisal into Amy's lawsuit are profoundly concerning and item highly superior shortcomings.

"A wide-scale nationalist wellness matter of specified gravity requires nan afloat nationalist scrutiny astatine a statutory inquiry."

A DOH spokesperson said: "Our sympathies are pinch Amy and each families affected by this profoundly distressing situation"

They said nan Verita report had already made "several recommendations", adding: "We expect nan spot to present each proposal and supply beardown support for families. Independent bodies will oversee this to guarantee lessons are learned and that this tin ne'er hap again."

The DOH said a further independent objective reappraisal should study adjacent twelvemonth and that NHS England was reviewing governance astir high-complexity, low-volume orthopaedic and spinal room services.

Ms Stohr, done her lawyers, did not respond to nan BBC's questions astir Amy's case, but had antecedently said: "I ever strive to supply nan highest standards of attraction to each my patients.

"I americium cooperating afloat pinch nan spot investigation, and it would not beryllium due to remark further astatine this time."

CUH said patients and families concerned astir their attraction could telephone a freephone helpline connected 0808 175 6331.