The Cardiff and Vale University Health Board has suspended a specialist liver surgeon linked to the "avoidable deaths" of eight patients he operated on in South Wales.
University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust has commissioned an independent review into work of a suspended liver surgeon in Wales who previous worked at its hospitals.
In a statement, it said some of Professor David Berry's results were "lower than expected."
This is specialist surgery and there are a number of reasons why this might be the case, so rather than speculate we have asked the Royal College of Surgeons to carry out an independent, impartial review of Professor Berry’s cases and once that review is complete we will report back
– Dr Kevin Harris, Medical Director at the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board says there have been 42 calls to the helpline it set up for anyone who is concerned about the surgical care they received relating to liver surgery between February 2011 and October 2012.
The hotline has taken a number of calls, including some from other parts of the UK, and nursing staff have been providing information and reassurance to members of the public. We are also pleased that the two remaining families who we have been trying to contact for some time have been in touch and we can offer them appropriate support.
This matter has been referred to us by the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board. Following a report from the Royal College of Surgeons into the specifics of this case we have liaised with the Coroner and are now in consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service to examine the facts.
Lawyers representing the family of a man whose ‘avoidable’ death was linked to suspended liver surgeon David Paul Berry have called for Cardiff & the Vale University Health Board to make the findings of its internal inquiry public.
We are shocked and deeply concerned to learn of the scale of the number of avoidable deaths linked to Mr Berry’s surgery during his short time at University Hospital Wales.
Eight avoidable deaths within just 18 months is very concerning and the health board must provide urgent answers to all those affected about how this could have happened.
Martyn Rogers who died of blood poisoning and acute liver failure on 25 July last year, a week after undergoing surgery by Mr Berry to remove tumours from his liver.
His partner Maria Davies says she is "shocked to the core" after learning the deaths of other patients may have been preventable.
Our client Maria, and no doubt the other families who have lost loved ones, now deserve quick and transparent information from the Board about exactly what has gone wrong, how it could go wrong and what action is being taken to protect patient safety and prevent any further avoidable deaths.
Stephen Allen, Chief Officer at Cardiff & Vale of Glamorgan Community Health Council, says a helpline is available to anybody concerned or worried about liver surgery.
The Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats says the "avoidable" deaths of eight patients under the care of a specialist liver surgeon is "shocking".
Kirsty Williams says that she is "seriously concerned" and wants the Health Minister to answer urgent questions.
I am seriously concerned about the avoidable deaths that have occurred at UHW.For eight patients to die unnecessarily at the hands of a specialist surgeon in the Welsh NHS is shocking.The death of a loved one is difficult to accept in any circumstance. What makes this situation even worse is the fact that these deaths were avoidable.I want the Health Minister to answer urgent questions from Assembly Members as soon as possible to ensure that events like this cannot happen again in our NHs."
– Kirsty Williams, Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board has set up a helpline for anyone who is concerned about the surgical care they received in relation to liver surgery between February 2011 and October 2012.
The University Health Board says that no current liver patients are "at risk".
The news comes after a specialist liver surgeon who was linked to the "avoidable deaths" of eight patients he operated on in South Wales has been suspended.
Every death is a tragedy for the family concerned, but we do not underestimate the impact of a death in these circumstances. We would like at the outset to put on record our unreserved apologies to every family who has been affected.
The UHB has been in dialogue with the majority of those families concerned for some time and has put individual advocates in place to support them through this difficult period.
As a health board, our absolute focus is on the safety and quality of the care we give to our patients. Anomalies in this surgeon’s results were picked up by us from routine clinical data, which we scrutinise rigorously across the organisation.
We have worked with the Royal College of Surgeons, and our own staff, to make sure we are clear about the numbers of people whose care and treatment may have been affected by this issue.
We appreciate this is a worrying time for patients and their families and would like to reassure patients who are receiving or awaiting liver surgery at the moment that the UHB has full confidence in the current liver service at the University Hospital of Wales.
– Dr Graham Shortland, UHB Medical Director
Tonight the University Health Board has set up a helpline for anyone who is concerned about the surgical care they received in relation to liver surgery between February 2011 and October 2012.
A professional review of 31 of a specialist liver surgeon's patients while with the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, found that 10 went on to die, and "eight of those 10 deaths were avoidable."
The review looked into those patients who underwent liver surgery between February 2011 and October 2012.
Health chiefs have suspended a specialist liver surgeon linked to the "avoidable deaths" of eight patients he operated on in South Wales.
Consultant surgeon David Paul Berry, based at University Hospital Wales, has been banned by the General Medical Council (GMC) from doing any further liver surgery.
The Cardiff and Vale University Health Board has suspended a specialist liver surgeon linked to the "avoidable deaths" of eight patients he operated on in South Wales.