Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust has published on Thursday 29 February 2024, the findings of its Spinal Safety Look Back Review into historic treatment provided by a single Consultant Spinal Surgeon at the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital (RMCH) and its predecessor organisations.
Our review covers the surgeon’s activity from 2006 to 2011, after which time the surgeon left RMCH. Independent clinical experts were commissioned to look back at case notes, X-rays and other investigations. Patient clinical assessments have been offered and undertaken where appropriate.
We have also published our response to the review, which identifies the learning we have taken from this Look Back Review. Much has changed since 2011 regarding how patient safety issues are identified, reported, investigated and learned from – nevertheless, we are committed to continuous learning and improvement. We have shared our conclusions and response to the review with the patients and families involved, and we thank them for their time and valuable input into the review.
We recognise that patients who received non-surgical spinal treatment from the surgeon between 2006 to 2011 may have concerns following the publication of this review. These patients have not been contacted directly because we have focused on concerns arising from the surgeon’s surgical practice; however, should any patient have concerns over the care they received, we would like them to get in touch with us by emailing spinal.review@mft.nhs.uk or by calling 0161 701 5659.
Click here to read our response to the review
Miss Toli Onon, Joint Group Medical Director of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, expressed her appreciation for the support of patients and their families in carrying out the review.
She said: “We sincerely apologise to patients and their families where our care has fallen short of the high standards which we expect, where harm has been caused and for the concerns and anxieties raised by this review process. We know the review has not been easy for patients and their families, and we thank them all for their time and valuable input into the review.
We have contacted every patient, or their family, whose care has been considered as part of the review and we offered to meet with any patient who wished to attend. Clinical assessments have already been undertaken for patients where required. If there are any other patients with concerns, we would very much like them to get in touch with us.
It is essential that we apply the lessons learned from this review to our constant work to improve our patients’ safety, the quality of care we provide to them and their experience of our services.”