Jeremy Parker: Legal claims mount over disgraced surgeon

Julieann Cobbold received a settlement from the NHS after she was operated on by Jeremy Parker

Former patients of a surgeon who has been struck off say their lives have been ruined by his misconduct.

The number of people harmed by Jeremy Parker is unknown but at least 123 are taking legal action.

Their lawyer said the scale of harm caused by his malpractice "could be huge".

Mr Parker, who left East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Trust in 2019, declined to comment when contacted by the BBC via the Medical Protection Society.

The NHS trust says it took immediate action and a private hospital where he worked is investigating.

Last month the Medical Practitioner's Tribunal ruled that he should be erased from the medical register.

A total of 53 allegations against him were found "proved" including dishonestly adding to the case notes of 14 patients, botching operations, not diagnosing infections, failing to consult colleagues and not obtaining patient consent.

The General Medical Council also confirmed a patient had a leg amputated below the right knee after a procedure carried out by Mr Parker went awry.

Christian Beadell from Fletchers Solicitors, which is representing former patients in a class action, said East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Trust (ESNEFT) had not answered questions over whether it had initiated a recall process to determine the number patients harmed.

A recall would involve identifying and contacting former patients of Mr Parker to check on their welfare.

"It's difficult to say how many patients have been injured by him," Mr Beadell said.

His firm has been contacted by 193 former patients in total, he said.

ESNEFT said it had carried out its own internal investigation but did not respond when asked if it had undertaken a recall.

The trust invited the Royal College of Surgeons to conduct what is known as an "invited review" into Mr Parker's practices in 2019 but would not share its report.

But the BBC has seen correspondence which states the review found serious concerns, including an increase in complication rates following operations he had carried out and that he had a lower threshold for offering surgical treatment.

It also referred to a report into Mr Parker by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman from 2012 which found inadequacies in documentation, patient consent and assessments

The Ombudsman's office said it was unable to locate the report when approached by the BBC.

'I feel really angry'

Julieann Cobbold says she had an active life before she was operated on by Jeremy Parker

Julieann Cobbold was operated on by Mr Parker in 2012.

He diagnosed her as having arthritis in the left knee and replaced it. She said she was left in "terrible pain" after the operation.

An independent orthopaedic specialist said the surgery was not necessary and that the arthritis was in her right knee, which now needs replacing.

ESNEFT disputed this but settled with Ms Cobbold after admitting she had not been consulted properly about her treatment options and that Parker had failed to obtain informed consent.

She now has difficulty walking.

"I ended up getting a wheelchair and it's got to the stage that the highlight of my week is going into Tesco's in the wheelchair," said Ms Cobbold.

"We don't go out anywhere. I feel really angry with the man that he thinks he can do that to people and ruin their lives.

"I put my life and trust in his hands and he's totally let me down and now my life is ruined," she said.

"I don't go anywhere. I've been very, very depressed, just not wanting to do anything. Literally I'd go and sit down, fall asleep, get up, have dinner, go to bed and that's my life."

Archived data from The National Joint Registry, "which records, monitors, analyses and reports on performance outcomes in joint replacement surgery" shows Mr Parker was performing far more operations than his colleagues.

Their figures reveal he carried out 705 procedures between April 2017 to March 2020 - more than double the national average.

Mr Beadell said the figures suggested both that Mr Parker might have been carrying out too many operations, not all of which might have been necessary.

Archived data from The National Joint Registry shows Mr Parker was carrying out far more surgeries than his peers

'I can't bend my left knee'

'It affects me every day - it's exhausting' says Tania Walton who was operated on by Jeremy Parker

Tania Walton from Colchester is taking legal action against ESNEFT after Mr Parker replaced her right knee in September 2017 and her left knee in January 2019.

She says she is in constant pain and now relies on opiates to get through the day.

Mrs Walton told the BBC how, after the first operation, her knee became infected and she needed two blood transfusions.

"I was losing blood, [had] low blood pressure, feeling dreadful and in so much pain," she said.

She believes the surgery went wrong and blames Mr Parker, adding "I can't bend my left knee. I'm not the person I was.

"I'm 50 years old and I have a disability badge," Mrs Walton said. "I struggle in my life with my children, I don't have hobbies, I don't enjoy things. My quality of life is pretty poor now.

"I was very active before - every aspect of my life is affected by this."

ESNEFT said it would not comment because of the ongoing legal action.

'Internal investigation'

The private Oaks Hospital in Colchester where Mr Parker was able to carry out surgery in breach of the restrictions placed on him

Questions remain over how Mr Parker was able to carry out 33 operations in breach of restrictions placed on his practice in October 2018 by ESNEFT following the review by the Royal College of Surgeons.

These procedures were carried out at the private Oaks Hospital in Colchester, where the restrictions had also been imposed.

Paul Whiteing, chief executive of the patient safety charity Action Against Medical Accidents, said many questions unanswered "about how it came to pass that having placed clinical restrictions on Dr Parker's, Oaks Hospital failed to notice that he was not complying with them at all.

"This case raises serious patient safety issue that requires an independent review to understand what went wrong."

Ramsay Health Care, the hospital operator, did not respond directly when asked how the surgeon was allowed to proceed.

In a statement, the company said: "The care and safety of all our patients is Oaks Hospital's number one priority. As soon as we were aware that Mr Parker had breached the restrictions placed on him, he was suspended and did not return to practice at Oaks Hospital.

"A full internal investigation is being conducted, which will include a review of patients treated by Mr Parker at Oaks Hospital. Two external experts have been engaged to assist with this review and we will ensure all recommendations are fully implemented."

'Immediate action taken'

Jeremy Parker was struck off the medical register in February

Dr Angela Tillett, chief medical officer at East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, said: "As with any concerns raised about patient care we took immediate action and carried out our own internal investigation."

She said the Royal College of Surgeons was invited to carry out a review and all of the recommendations the college made were "put in place".

"We always work closely with the GMC and all regulatory bodies," she said. "Mr Parker has not worked at Colchester hospital since 2019."

It is understood Mr Parker has now retired.