A police officer was forced to quit his job due to botched shoulder surgery at a private Leeds hospital.
Phillip Stevens is one of nine patients suing the NHS following surgery by Michael Walsh at private hospitals in Leeds between 2013 and 2018 which left them in pain and with decreased mobility.
Walsh, who worked at Spire Leeds Hospital and Leeds Nuffield Hospital, was suspended by Spire in 2018 following concerns from patients and colleagues.
Like the other claimants, Mr Stevens was referred to Walsh through the NHS Choose and Book service which is designed to reduce waiting lists by paying for surgery at private hospitals.
Mr Stevens, 61, underwent shoulder replacement surgery for his right shoulder at Leeds Nuffield Hospital after suffering pain and a lack of movement in the joint for several years.
After the surgery, performed by Walsh, the pain became worse and his shoulder mobility decreased.
Later investigations by another surgeon found:
- An incorrectly-sized ill-fitting implant had been used;
- Pegs used to anchor the implant to the bone had been cut or removed;
- A poor cementing technique had been used.
The NHS has since admitted the operation was not carried out appropriately and had caused Mr Stevens more pain and decreased mobility.
Married dad-of-two Mr Stevens said: "When I was told about the Choose and Book scheme for treatment I thought it would be ideal as it would mean that I would be treated sooner and my pain cured.
"However, it turned out to be the exact opposite. The pain just got worse. I was reliant on (wife) Cath to assist me with almost everything. I couldn’t continue at the gym and I even began to struggle with day to day tasks at work. It was that bad that I couldn’t even make a drink or work at a computer."
And worse was to come.
Mr Stevens said: "To have to leave my job as a police officer because of the pain was devastating. I loved my job and had no plans to retire but I felt I was left with no other option.
"To be then told by a different surgeon in 2017 that my shoulder was a mess just added to the hurt I had experienced.
"I was reluctant to undergo further surgery because of what happened previously but wasn’t left with much choice.
"I required a lot of physiotherapy and it is expected I will always have reduced mobility and strength in my right shoulder.
"It is hard not to be upset and angry at what has happened and how my life has changed for the worst because of the substandard surgery I had.
"I would like to say that the surgeon who I am now under through Nuffield has been fantastic. From the outset, he has been open and honest about the mistakes that were made in my treatment and care. I feel that he is trying to do the best for me and whilst I doubt that I will ever be able to fully trust medical professionals again, he is going some way to restore my faith in them."
Law company Irwin Mitchell is representing Mr Stevens and eight other claimants.
Medical negligence lawyer at the firm, Samuel Hill, said: "Unfortunately Phillip’s case is not an isolated one. For several years we have seen too many cases of patients suffering because of substandard or unnecessary surgery and procedures in a private setting."
He added: "We reiterate the need for a full and transparent review of the private hospital system to be conducted to improve patient safety."
