Leicester: Cancer surgery patients receive £6.8m in damages from NHS

The hospital said it had now made significant changes to the reconstructive surgery service

Nearly £7m in damages has been paid to cancer patients harmed while undergoing reconstructive surgery.

Leicester Royal Infirmary's maxillofacial surgery service was suspended from November 2016 to 2018 following a review by the Royal College of Surgeons, after dental trainees raised safety concerns.

Some patients were left struggling to eat, swallow and talk after operations.

Hospital bosses said they were "deeply sorry".

Badly disfigured

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said among the concerns raised were that proper consent was not always given by patients before operations and there were doubts whether they were given the best procedures for their conditions.

Figures released by the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (UHL), following a Freedom of Information request, show it has settled 41 cases with cancer patients who underwent the surgery between 2009 and 2016.

With the addition of legal costs, the trust has paid out £8.49m to conclude the claims.

One patient, who did not wish to be named, said a 10-hour operation at the Leicester Royal Infirmary, in 2016, left him so badly disfigured that his wife fainted with shock when she saw him.

The 59-year-old from Leicestershire, who received an undisclosed sum after suing the trust, said he was forced to to take early retirement as a result of the failed surgery.

Lawyers representing him, who submitted the Freedom of Information request, said he suffered lasting physical and psychological harm, including shoulder weakness, disfigurement, reduced mobility, fatigue and chest scarring.

Comprehensive review

The patient said: "What has happened to me is an absolute disgrace. There are times I feel so low and I can't be bothered talking to anyone - not because I don't want to, but because it requires too much energy, which I just don't have any more.

"I know people struggle to understand me when I talk and this massively affects my confidence."

Andrew Furlong, UHL's medical director, said: "Sadly, a number of patients treated by the oral and maxillofacial surgery service between 2009 and 2016 did not have the outcome they should have had following their surgery and we are deeply sorry for this."

He said a comprehensive independent review was carried out and added: "Significant changes have been made as a result, including the appointment of extra consultants, improved patient information and an overhaul of standard operating procedures."