Knee Surgery Information

Patients from South Wales who underwent knee surgery at Weston were offered reassurances following a review of their treatment.

More than 600 patients were sent to Weston NHS Treatment Centre for orthopaedic surgery under the Second Offer Scheme, a Welsh Assembly Government policy which allowed the NHS in Wales to provide alternative treatments for a range of conditions. The Second Offer Scheme has been very successful in helping bring down the time patients were waiting for surgery in Wales.

Following reports of clinical complications involving a small number of patients who had undergone knee replacement surgery at Weston NHS Treatment Centre, the service commissioners called for an independent review. Rhondda Cynon Taff Teaching Local Health Board as the ‘host’ of the Second Offer Scheme commissioned the review. In June last year the LHB and Weston Area Health NHS Trust, asked the British Orthopaedic Association (BOA) to review the operations of patients with reported complications following knee surgery at the Weston Treatment Centre.

The Review report is now completed and its findings suggest that the complication rate in Weston Area Health NHS Trust for patients who had knee surgery is higher than would normally be expected. As a result, Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust has this week contacted a total of 654 patients who received any orthopaedic treatment in Weston, including 497 knee treatment procedures. In addition, Gwent NHS Trust* has sent letters to a total of 29 patients, 14 of whom received knee treatment.

Although the focus of the review was knee surgery, doctors were keen to send letters to inform all patients who have received orthopaedic treatment and surgery at the Centre as a precaution. Those who had operations and treatment other than on their knees – such as hips – are, therefore, also invited to have an appointment with a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon in Wales.

Christine Miles, Director of NHS Wales’ Delivery and Support Unit, which has managed the Second Offer Scheme since October 2005, said it was important that patients who had received treatment in Weston under the Second Offer Scheme had an opportunity to discuss their surgery and any concerns they may have with a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at the hospital from which they were referred:

I appreciate the concern that many patients may feel at receiving this information, but I would like to stress that this is a precautionary measure.  Arrangements are in place for outpatient appointments if appropriate within the coming weeks so that those who do require further treatment can be assessed and helped as soon as possible.

In the meantime, we must remember that the Second Offer Scheme has enabled a total of 23,000 procedures to be carried out on Welsh patients sooner than would otherwise have been possible and that the initiative has been successful in reducing waiting times. In addition, the potential problems at Weston were identified through the comprehensive reporting system that has been in place for the Second Offer Scheme since it was introduced by the Welsh Assembly Government in April 2004.

The vast majority of the 683 patients were transferred from the orthopaedic waiting list at Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust to Weston. All these patients have been sent a letter by the Trust, acknowledging that some patients have already received a review by an Orthopaedic Surgeon in Cardiff pending the outcome of the Review report. The Trust has also established a telephone information line for patients.

A small number of patients – 29 people – were transferred from the Gwent NHS Trust waiting list. They have also been sent individual letters but will then be followed up directly with a telephone call.

Knee Surgery

Knee Surgery News