NHS Improvement Commissions Review Which Will Scrutinise Post-Surgery Deaths

Specialist lawyers at Irwin Mitchell have called for a thorough investigation after it was revealed that the deaths of up to 250 heart patients at a London hospital are to be reviewed.

NHS Improvement has commissioned the review which will examine the deaths of people who died following surgery at St George’s Hospital in Tooting, south London.

It comes after St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust suspended complex heart surgery last year.

The review will cover the period between April 2013 and September 2018, according to the Press Association.

Alison Eddy, is a partner and expert medical negligence lawyer at Irwin Mitchell’s London office.

Expert Opinion

“The reports regarding St George’s Hospital are very worrying, particularly for the loved ones of patients who were under the hospital’s care during the time period the review will span.

“To help maintain public confidence in the NHS it is vital that a full and transparent investigation into the potential issues that have been highlighted is conducted.

“Patient safety should always be the priority for the NHS. Therefore if the review finds areas where patient care can be improved, it is imperative these findings are acted on and new measures are introduced.” Alison Eddy - Regional Managing Partner

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A report has suggested that poor relationships between surgeons and the cardiac unit contributed to a higher mortality rate.

The medical records of heart patients who died will be examined as part of the review. It is expected that the findings of the Trust’s own internal investigations into some patients’ deaths will also be scrutinised.

The Hospital Trust said that relatives of cardiac surgery patients who died during the review period will be contacted if the panel identifies “any significant concerns about their care”.