I am 84 and have been disabled since my hip replacement at Frimley Health NHS foundation Trust on 29/11/2012 at Heatherwood hospital with follow up at Wexham Park hospital by Mr Raza and Mr Singer.
As a result of the operation ------ (and still now except for the pain)
The hip has external rotation requiring an 0steotomy which is major revision surgery
The cup was impinging on the Psoas muscle causing intolerable pain
I cannot lift my left leg
I cannot bend my leg back at the knee very far
My toes catch the ground and I tend to trip
My lower leg is swollen and I have a swollen ankle.
My left foot sticks out about 50 degrees
When took my first steps with a crutch after the hip replacement the physiotherapist told me that my leg was swinging in a wide arc, surely this was a sign that something was wrong, should he not have told the surgeons?
When I went to exercises the physio saw that I could not lift my leg and said "there is nothing I can do for you," surely he should have reported that to the surgeon
It was not until 18 March 2013 that I got an appointment with Mr Raza who did not examine me but sent me for an x-ray, I did not get the results of that x-ray
I did not get another appointment for about four months 9/7/2013 where I had a consultation with the hospital registrar Mr Pechon who is not as experienced as the surgeons, I suspect that this was in the hope that he would not be able to identify the fact that the hip is rotated which was the case. He did however identify that I had pain probably due to Iliopsoas tendon irritation and that my left leg was longer than my right and that I could not walk without a stick
I sent a number of letters of complaint to the Trust about my disability without getting a satisfactory response. Finally the CEO Sir Andrew Morris just asked the surgeons for their comments. the surgeons lied and said that the operation had gone well so the CEO just accepted their word - that is how the NHS complaints procedure works ---don't investigate just ask the accused if they are guilty and accept their word.
. He then told me to go to the PHSO if I was not happy with his response.
To see my letters of complaint click the following link
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1tUGsFvUkvZPBnR_lU3TmYiJV85UDAOLG?usp=drive_link
To see the CEO's letter of response click the following link
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kodCPIChRHMaeikzMFO1UXZhe8we3yp7/view?usp=drive_link
I got a letter of apology from Frimley Health for the 'unacceptable delay in dealing with my complaint. That delay made me too late to go to a solicitor - how can that be justified? Is that delay part of the part of th NHS complaints procedure.?
To see that letter click the following link
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XDwyijGoa_nxSaz8N9RMVoKy1SXdlVOg/view?usp=drive_link
I got a letter from Frimley Health with an appointment to see Mr Singer on the 5th June 2015. When I got to Mr Singers consulting room, he just glared at me and said "I hear you wrote a letter of complaint about me" I said "yes that's right" he said "well I never asked to see you and made a point of sticking his head down into papers on his desk and ignoring me, which I took as his instruction to go - or something much less polite. He Must have realized how rude he had been because he wrote a letter within a few hours to my GP explaining the problem with more lies where he said "I wished him all the best with the forthcoming surgery" Firstly that is a lie he did not wish me all the best, he was extremely rude and intimidating and surely he would question why I needed a further operation at another hospital when he had said that nothing was wrong. All I got was disrespect and lies see following document-https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Ynk8dnnC9aYEmHZ9SuL9IlWbMBQ8Xi18/view?usp=drive_link
I decided to go to the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre where after an X-ray and examination the surgeon Mr Taylor found that -The hip was rotated and that both the femoral and acetabular components need to be revised which would mean a major operation - an osteotomy. There was some impingement of the Psoas on the cup which was causing me intractable pain. I needed a shoe raise on the right hand side because of leg length difference .I could not raise my left leg which caused my toe to catch the ground when I try to walk and I trip, I could not flex my leg back at the knee My left foot stuck out about 40 degrees.
I went into surgery expecting the surgeon Mr Taylor to do an Osteotomy but he decided it was too big a job not sure for him? or me? but he just replaced the cup to release the psoas so I am no longer in pain but I have dislocated my hip four times since that second operation and still have all the other problems.To see those letters click the following link https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Buf3QCyfUjdzvZR01b2awQVgOIO0J57r/view?usp=sharing
The fourth occasion that I had a hip dislocation I was examined at Wexham park hospital by the Orthopeadic Registrar Mrs McCartney. she looked at the x-ray for about two minutes and said that I needed a major revision operation- that shows how obvious the problem must be, to see those letters click the following linkhttps://drive.google.com/file/d/1jsXx2AcUdbAj0AiE4KvQlzckOLlpdy9u/view?usp=sharing
I complained to the Parliamentary and health service ombudsman who after some considerable time responded and said they would not uphold my complaint. Their letter of response is total nonsense, They said-
'there appeared to be nothing wrong with the hip replacement'- THE HIP IS ROTATED!
'We do not know how the leg became shorter' - THE LEG IS LONGER!
'He is now able to lift his leg pain free' - I CANNOT LIFT MY LEFT LEG!
They referred to the surgeon as ' Sir Andrew Morris' - THE SURGEON WAS MR NAEEM RAZA THEY COULD NOT EVEN GET THE NAME OF THE SURGEON RIGHT WHICH SHOWS HOW LITTLE CARE THEY TOOK IN MY CASE but the PHSO are the agency who have the last word which cannot be questioned. What a total farce
They said that they had consulted an experienced surgeon who said that 'X-Rays confirmed that the surgery was performed appropriately' he noted that the cup had been replaced which had freed up the pain but did not notice that the hip was rotated and needed an Osteotomy. Anybody else who sees the X-ray takes a couple of minutes to see the hip is rotated.
How I wish I had never heard of the PHSO and gone to a solicitor..
to see their letter click the following link
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-6GqGX9Le_frTM16e0yVW96cXKP5OTnu/view?usp=drive_link
I received a letter of apology from the PHSO for the 'unacceptable delay' in responding to my letters of complaint but the delay in going through the PHSO procedure made me too late to go to the high court. How can that be justified I go patiently through the correct process like a fool in the belief and trust that my complaint will be reviewed thoroughly they get it wrong and I am ignored.
To see the PHSO nonsense click thefollowing link
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZZ6U3Qw3BTE6cKqZuXVoG6wD5lTAQ-Yx/view?usp=drive_link
WHAT A FARCE -HOW I WISH I HAD GONE TO A SOLICITOR IN THE FIRST PLACE AND IGNORED THE NHS COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE.
I complained a number of times to secretaries of state for health, MPs Prime ministers, news programs, newspapers, commitee responsible for the PHSO, Commitee for Wexham park hospital, House of Lords Members and many others who I think should take an interest but nobody cares or takes any action..
The Department of Health and Social Care's response told me to "engage with my GP and treating clinicians for advice and support on how best to manage your health concerns", "any further correspondence sent to the Department on your NHS complaint and the PHSO will be logged but may not receive a response" - They just do not care.
To see that letter click the following link
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lSemWKQXUHIxopbFwZCVqfUjGoivQlmy/view?usp=drive_link
DON'T RISK IT GO TO A NO WIN NO FEE SOLICITOR
Examinationnation by Other Orthopaedic surgeons 15/09/2021 I paid to see a private consultant Mr William Aston Orthopaedic Surgeon of the Royal Orthopaedic hospital Stanmore, he noted that my hip was externally rotated and that I could not flex my leg much at the hip or the knee. He told me to correct it would mean major surgery at the specialist complex surgery department at the RNOH. He has now got copies of scans and an MRI and has told me that he cannot be sure of success if he operates and questions if I want to take the risks involved. If the surgeons had been honest immediately after the operation I was fairly fit at the age of 72 and would of had another operation but now i am 84 and have not been able to be very active I am probably not fit enough.
I went to a physiotherapist near me to see if she could help me to get my left leg to lift but after about three sessions decided that it needed more than physiotherapy to resolve the situation. I asked my GP Dr Mata to help me as he worked at wexham park hospital for the CEO sir Andrew Morris but he did nothing. I spoke to citizens advice who again said they could not help me as I had left it too late. I went to a solicitor near me to see if I could get compensation for negligence, they requested lots of information but after a few months that they could not take my case because they could not get insurance.
After having my hip reset after a fourth displacement on the 17/09/21 I was given a follow up appointment with Mr Singer. Mr Singer was on holiday so I saw Mrs McCartney Orthopaedic registrar who examined me. In less than twenty minutes she had seen the x-rays and my foot sticking out about 45 degrees and told me that my hip was rotated and was probably causing the dislocations. She said she would send a note to my GP saying I would need to go to a tertiary hospital such as RNOH if I wanted a further operation to correct it. Before I had the revised operation at Oxford my movement was limited by the pain but afterwards I stretched and bent more at the hips causing the dislocation..
Frimley Health hospital records show all is not right
I got a copy of the hospital records which say:‘He is unable to flex his hip'‘His left leg is longer than the right’‘He is unable to walk without a stick’‘He has difficulty with hip flexion actively’‘He has antalgic gait on the left hand side.’‘He has to use his arms to gain more than 30 degrees flexion in his hip’‘His hip is externally rotated’‘He has a shuffling gait – looking unsteady‘lifting his leg is a problem’‘He has an elbow wound from a recent fall’‘He tends to turn his foot outwards’ ( I do not turn my foot out, I hold my leg straight forward and my foot sticks out to the left and I am unable to straighten it, I have next to no lateral movement in that ankle. See photographs)
Due to the fact that I have an externally rotated hip I have a life changing disability.
I have to walk with crutches and watch every step, every move I make to make sure I do not trip or dislocate my hip.I used to play golf, table tennis, ride my bike, walk on the beach but never been able to do those activities since the operation. I am dependent on my wife and use a stick or crutch when I go out. My whole life has changed. I have had to pay to have my bathroom changed from bath to shower room, had an en-suite installed in my bedroom, had inward hinged doors and rails installed so I can get into my garden. We pay people to do jobs that I would normally do or my wife does the day to day jobs. .
As per the contaminated blood report I feel there has been a systemic, collective and individual failure to deal ethically, appropriately and quickly with my complaint. Also this has caused my Wife to suffer having to watch and care.
Geoffrey Knightbridge Geoffk84@outlook.com
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