Children operated on by now-suspended surgeon ‘are being let down again’, lawyer warns

Published

1 month ago

March 19, 2025

admin

Children who underwent operations with a now-suspended surgeon at a Cambridge hospital are being let down again by a lack of information and transparency from the hospital’s trust, according to a lawyer representing one of the families.

Last month, Addenbrooke’s Hospital announced it had contacted the families of nine children whose complex hip surgeries “fell below” the expected standard, following an external review.

The orthopaedic surgeon, who has not been named, has since been suspended while a second external review is carried out.

But families are said to be “frustrated” by a lack of communication from Addenbrooke’s, which is yet to release the findings of the first review.

A lawyer instructed by one of the families has accused Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust of failing to follow official guidance in their handling of the patients and their families.

Catherine Slattery, associate solicitor at Irwin Mitchell, told Sky News: “Families should feel they are being supported through this process, and that their child is the centre of this investigation.

“At the moment, it doesn’t feel that way.”

The National Patient Recall Framework – for patients “recalled” by a healthcare provider after a problem has been identified – states that the patient’s needs should “always be placed at the centre” of the process.

The guidance adds: “There should be appropriate and compassionate engagement with patients to ensure that the process remains patient focused.”

But Ms Slattery, who has spoken to more than one of the families affected, says Addenbrooke’s is falling short of the framework and needs “to be a lot more transparent about the situation”.

She said: “I think the communication has been lacking. I think that there hasn’t been enough information provided.

“The priority has to be patient safety to ensure that if there are any ongoing symptoms or issues that they are dealt with promptly.”

In February, the chief executive of Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust apologised to families affected, and admitted they had been let down.

So far, the outcomes of nine surgeries were found to fall below the expected standards. A second external review is now investigating every planned operation performed by the surgeon in question.

In a statement, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “We take this matter extremely seriously and we reiterate our unreserved apologies to the children and their families whose care was below the standard they should have received.

“We proactively contacted the parents of children where the initial external review had identified that treatment had fallen below the standard we would expect and that they and their families are entitled to expect from us.

“We have put in place arrangements for a further independent and external review into all of the planned surgical operations carried out by the individual during their employment with the trust.

“We will contact any child and their family if this independent process identifies the possibility that there has been a poorer than expected outcome from their treatment.”

UK

League table of foreign criminals awaiting deportation and their offences set to be published

Published

4 hours ago

April 22, 2025

admin

League table of foreign criminals awaiting deportation and their offences set to be published

A league table of foreign criminals and their offences is set to be published for the first time.

The plans, due to be announced on Tuesday, will reportedly focus on those offenders awaiting deportation from the UK.

The latest data shows there were 19,244 foreign offenders awaiting deportation at the end of 2024, a rise from 17,907 when the Conservatives left office in July and 14,640 at the end of 2022.

Despite more offenders being deported since Labour came to power, the number waiting to be removed from the UK has been growing.

Factors are understood to include the early release of inmates due to prison overcrowding, instability and diplomatic problems in some countries and a backlog of legal cases appealing deportation.

Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said the decision to publish the nationalities of foreign criminals showed Labour had “buckled” under pressure from the Conservatives to disclose the data.

The latest government statistics show there were 10,355 foreign nationals held in custody in England and Wales at the end of 2024, representing 12% of the prison population.

The most common nationalities after British nationals were Albanian (11%), Polish (8%), Romanian (7%), which also represented the top three nationalities who were deported from the UK in 2024, according to Home Office figures.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is understood to have ordered officials to release the details by the end of the year, according to The Daily Telegraph.

The newspaper reported Ms Cooper overruled Home Office officials, who previously claimed it was too difficult to provide quality data on foreign criminals.

A Home Office source said: “Not only are we deporting foreign criminals at a rate never seen when Chris Philp and Robert Jenrick were in charge at the Home Office, but we will also be publishing far more information about that cohort of offenders than the Tories ever did.”

The source added that ministers wanted “to ensure the public is kept better informed about the number of foreign criminals awaiting deportation, where they are from and the crimes they have committed”.

In March, the government announced £5m in funding to deploy staff to 80 jails in England and Wales to speed up the deportation of foreign offenders.

Foreign nationals sentenced to 12 months or more in prison are subject to automatic deportation, but the home secretary can also remove criminals if their presence in the UK is not considered desirable.

Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick welcomed the news, saying: “We will finally see the hard reality that mass migration is fuelling crime across our country… Frankly, the public deserved to know this [detail on foreign criminals] long ago.”

UK

Rachel Reeves to head to Washington amid hopes of US trade deal

Published

7 hours ago

April 22, 2025

admin

Rachel Reeves to head to Washington amid hopes of US trade deal

Rachel Reeves will pledge to “stand up for Britain’s national interest” as she heads to Washington DC amid hopes of a UK/US trade deal.

The chancellor will fly to the US capital for her spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the first of which began on Sunday.

During her three-day visit, Ms Reeves is set to hold meetings with G7, G20 and IMF counterparts about the changing global economy and is expected to make the case for open trade.

Politics latest: Tributes paid to Pope Francis

Her visit comes after Donald Trump imposed blanket 10% tariffs on all imports into the US, including from the UK, and as talks about reaching a trade deal intensified.

The chancellor will also hold her first in-person meeting with her US counterpart, treasury secretary Scott Bessent, about striking a new trade agreement, which the UK hopes will take the sting out of Mr Trump’s tariffs.

In addition to the 10% levy on all goods imported to America from the UK, Mr Trump enacted a 25% levy on car imports.

Ms Reeves will also be hoping to encourage fellow European finance ministers to increase their defence spending and discuss the best ways to support Ukraine in its war against Russia.

Speaking ahead of her visit, Ms Reeves said: “The world has changed, and we are in a new era of global trade. I am in no doubt that the imposition of tariffs will have a profound impact on the global economy and the economy at home.

“This changing world is unsettling for families who are worried about the cost of living and businesses concerned about what tariffs will mean for them. But our task as a government is not to be knocked off course or to take rash action which risks undermining people’s security.

“Instead, we must rise to meet the moment and I will always act to defend British interests as part of our plan for change.

“We need a world economy that provides stability and fairness for businesses wanting to invest and trade, more trade and global partnerships between nations with shared interests, and security for working people who want to get on with their lives.”

UK

Murder arrest after woman stabbed to death in Enfield – as victim named

Published

13 hours ago

April 21, 2025

admin

Murder arrest after woman stabbed to death in Enfield - as victim named

A woman who was stabbed to death in north London has been named by police – as a man was arrested on suspicion of murder.

Pamela Munro, 45, was found with a stab wound and died at the scene in Ayley Croft, Enfield, on Saturday evening, the Metropolitan Police said.

A 29-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder on Monday and is in custody, the force added.

Detective Chief Inspector Neil John said: “Investigating officers have worked relentlessly across the weekend to investigate the circumstances around Pamela’s death.

“We continue to support her family who are understandably devastated.”

The Met Police has asked anyone with information or who was driving through Ayley Court between 6.30pm and 7.30pm on Saturday and may have dashcam footage to contact the force.