Birkby hospital patients’ fears over hip surgery

Jun 24 2009 By Neil Atkinson

PATIENTS at a Huddersfield hospital were left in "agony" after hip operations, it was claimed today.

Now a lawyer has raised serious concerns after hip replacement operations at a the former Nuffield Hospital in Birkby allegedly left at least three pensioners needing their new hip joint removed.

Lawyers from national law firm Irwin Mitchell are currently investigating claims on behalf of the three Huddersfield women, all in their early to mid 60s, who claim they suffered abnormal pain and discomfort following failed hip replacements.

And they fear there could be at least 23 more in similar situations.

One patient – 65-year-old Jill Turner, from Holmfirth – was even forced to manage without a hip joint for three months while she waited for it to be replaced.

Irwin Mitchell claims that 26 NHS patients, all under the care of consultant surgeon Mr Emmanuel Tolessa, may well have experienced similar problems.

The hip joint used in all the procedures is not approved by NICE (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence), and according to an orthopaedic consultant at the Huddersfield Royal Infirmary it would not have been used had the treatment taken place there.

The consultant, who specialises in hip replacements, has pioneered a less invasive form of surgery.

Gary Walker, a clinical negligence specialist at Irwin Mitchell said: "We understand that 26 procedures using this particular joint were carried out by the same surgeon at Huddersfield’s Nuffield hospital on an NHS basis between 2005 and 2006, using the same type of prosthesis.

"We are extremely concerned about the use of this relatively unknown type of medical device and of the treatment and level of care that these individuals received.

"We will now be looking closely into why our clients suffered such unnecessary pain after what is usually a routine operation and what, if any, checks the NHS carry out when referring NHS patients to private hospitals for surgery.

"Their mobility problems ended up being made far worse by the surgery and all three, although previously fit and healthy, now have major problems bending and walking. Their quality of life has very much suffered as a result and it has been a very distressing ordeal for them."

Mrs Turner said she received a new hip joint at the Nuffield in June 2005. However, within months she began experiencing strong muscular pain and noticed a considerable difference in her leg lengths of nearly three centimetres.