Woman To Receive Compensation After Negligent Hip Surgery

Hip Operation Botched

30/06/2008

A Doncaster woman is to receive compensation after an NHS Treatment Centre admitted that her hip surgery was carried out incorrectly.

Mrs C was admitted to the Treatment Centre for an elective hip replacement. Further surgery was then carried out to remove the prosthesis, because Mrs C had contracted an infection in the wound. A third operation was then needed to insert another prosthesis.

The second prosthesis was wrongly positioned, and also had to be removed and further revision surgery was then needed.

Mrs C has been left with severely reduced mobility. She needs to use a stick to walk, has a permanent limp and cannot use stairs without supervision.

Mrs C's treatment was carried out at an Independent Sector Treatment Centre (ISTC), which is run by a private company. According to the Department of Health, "The Independent Sector Treatment Centre (ISTC) Programme is part of a major initiative to create additional capacity within the NHS to reduce waiting times and introduce choice for patients."

Sarah Rowland of Irwin Mitchell's specialist Medical Negligence Team, who handled the claim, said, "The Treatment Centre was negligent in the care and treatment of Mrs C in that they exercised poor surgical technique when operating on Mrs C on three occasions. In particular, the initial implant was too large and the second implant was wrongly positioned.

"As a result, Mrs C has been left with a very unsatisfactory conclusion to her treatment. But for the negligence of the centre, the Mrs C would have had an excellent outcome, with no restriction on mobility.

"Patients are now often offered the chance to have surgery carried out at an ISTC, where the waiting list is much shorter than normal. However, this case shows that there are concerns about the quality of treatment given by these centres."