Addenbrooke's helpline extended as 74 families reach out over suspended paediatric surgeon

14 March 2025, 12:14 | Updated: 14 March 2025, 13:21

Addenbrooke's hospital in Cambridge has extended a temporary helpline created for families concerned about their care following the suspension of a paediatric surgeon.

The helpline was initially set up for a week but remains open after dozens of people got in contact.

The hospital suspended the orthopaedic surgeon after discovering nine operations performed on children had fallen below the expected standard.

So far, 74 families have called or emailed the freephone number.

Cambridge University Hospitals Trust took action following an external review into the surgeon after colleagues made complaints.

Have you been affected by the surgeon at Addenbrookes? Contact the Sky News health team at NHSStories@sky.uk or send us a message on WhatsApp.

The review investigated complex hip surgeries carried out by the surgeon on children over the last two-and-a-half years.

The trust has yet to publish the review, but the findings prompted the chief executive to apologise "unreservedly" for "letting the families down."

Although the children's outcomes were not life-threatening, their mobility had been affected, with particular challenges around their hips and the tops of their legs.

The nine patients whose care fell below expected standards are all being offered clinical support at the hospital.

The surgeon was placed on limited duties while the review was under way and has since been suspended.

A second independent review is now under way, which will examine all the planned operations performed by the surgeon during their employment at Addenbrooke's. It will assess whether any patients need follow-up care.

It will also consider whether opportunities were missed to identify issues earlier.

Any patients or families who are concerned about their care can contact 0808 175 6331 or email CUH.helpline@nhs.net.

(c) Sky News 2025: Addenbrooke's helpline extended as 74 families reach out over suspended paediatric surgeon