Hospital asks hundreds of patients to check back in amid concerns over suspended surgeon

Private healthcare provider Spire has recalled 217 patients of suspended surgeon Habib Rahman amid concerns about “unnecessary” shoulder operations he performed on them.

Lawyers allege Mr Rahman performed ‘unnecessary or inappropriate’ shoulder surgeries at Spire Parkway Hospital in Solihull, before his practice was restricted in September 2018.

Linda Millband, clinical negligence lead at Thompsons Solicitors, said the recall “could be the tip of the iceberg”, and encouraged other patients of Mr Rahman to come forward.

Spire suspended Mr Rahman’s practice in January 2019, before withdrawing his operating license in May and inviting a review from the Royal College of Surgeons.

A Spire spokesman said: “Following the Royal College’s guidance, we wrote to all shoulder patients who were identified as requiring follow up to offer them a consultation with an independent surgeon to review their care and to understand more about their post-operative recovery.

“That process is still on-going.

“We would encourage patients who have received a letter to follow up on our offer of a free review by an independent specialist to ensure their care has been as expected.”

Mr Rahman is currently employed by an NHS trust, which says he is continuing to work under “interim restrictions” placed on him in July last year.

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust said it had not recalled any of his NHS patients.

Spire Healthcare made headlines in 2017 when one of its senior breast surgeons, Ian Paterson, was jailed for 20 years for carrying out “completely unnecessary” operations.

He operated between private and NHS hospitals between 1993 and 2011 and his victims are believed to have been in the hundreds.

Read more: https://www.itv.com/news/2020-01-24/hospital-asks-hundreds-of-patients-to-check-back-in-amid-concerns-over-suspended-surgeon/