Investigation into UHMBT urology

As requested...  A number of patients/families have asked me to publish the following from a campaigner which can be used as a template to send to health secretary Matthew Hancock. Emails can be sent via this link:  https://contactus.dh.gov.uk/ FAO Matthew Hancock, Secretary of State for Health:  As a patient/relative of a patient let down by the service provided by certain members of the urology department at the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust I am writing to you to express my support for the call for a public inquiry which you have received from four of our MPs.  For 19 years now the trust has been aware of clinical errors caused by three consultant urologists within the department. Mistakes include two patients who suffered renal failure, one who had a testicle removed, one who almost had the wrong (non-cancerous) kidney removed and mistakes which contributed to the deaths of Irene Erhart and Peter Read.  One of those consultants, Kav

New statement from UHMBT chief executive Aaron Cummins Aaron Cummins, Chief Executive of University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (UHMBT) said: “I’m pleased that John Woodcock, MP, was able to meet with the Trust yesterday to discuss the concerns raised by a former employee, Consultant Urologist, Peter Duffy. “Peter has raised serious safety concerns in his book and, while we believe all the clinical cases we can identify from the book have been investigated, we want to further reassure ourselves and the public that this has taken place and the necessary action has been taken. “John has been very clear how he feels the Trust is viewed on this matter, appearing ‘closed’ and defensive’ with how we’ve responded to some media queries, particularly Freedom of Information Requests (FOI) and we respect that view. “We have attempted to answer all questions in a timely and honest way in accordance with any applicable regulations and we will now be publishing all

Grieving families, harmed patients and politicians call for public inquiry THE four MPs who represent the area covered by the Morecambe Bay hospital trust have joined forces to call for a public inquiry into its urology department. Barrow and Furness MP John Woodcock, Copeland’s Trudy Harrison, Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron and Barrow-born Lancaster MP Cat Smith have jointly penned a letter to health secretary Matt Hancock. The move follows a 12-month investigation by The Mail in conjunction with former FGH consultant urologist Peter Duffy who last month published his whistle-blowing book detailing some of the errors made by his colleagues over a 19-year period. The University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, which runs FGH, the Royal Lancaster Infirmary and Westmorland General Hospital, ‘welcomed independent scrutiny’ but insists the service is safe. In their letter the MPs call for an inquiry to follow the model of the 2015 Kirkup Report int

Demand for public inquiry...

WATCH THIS SPACE... One of the most significant publications in connection with my 12-month investigation is set to be published in The Mail on Monday 26th August. 

It's only taken us 12 months... It might be incredible to believe but despite our hundreds of phone calls, texts and emails, Peter Duffy and I have never actually met in person. Until now. It was great to finally meet Peter face-to-face although of course I already feel as if I know him better than I know myself! Peter also very kindly signed one of my copies of his book.

'It's pretty indefensible practice'... The facts as reported in this article speak for themselves Doctor 'has destroyed my life'

Issues aren't historical... Something which both Peter and I feared, but also expected, was that the problems he had reported between 2002 and 2016 were continuing. After I reported on the cases of Irene Erhart and Peter Read I was inundated with emails, phone calls and Facebook messages from patients and families who believed they had been let down. One of the first to contact me was Chris Dickson. Hospital bosses say sorry to cancer patient

Apology is 'too little too late' I spent a number of weeks speaking to the families of two patients who died after being treated by some of the three urology consultants who Peter Duffy had concerns about. It turned out that coroners in both cases ruled that mistakes made by those consultants contributed to the deaths. Grieving families call for doctors to be struck off