Summary
Police are investigating the deaths of patients after heart procedures at an NHS hospital. Several reports suggest these deaths may have been due to avoidable mistakes during the surgeries, and some families were unaware of the issues. The hospital has made improvements, but the investigation is still early, with no arrests made.
Key Facts
- Police are investigating patient deaths after heart operations at Castle Hill Hospital.
- Documents suggest some deaths involved avoidable mistakes during surgeries.
- A patient's operation took much longer than expected and was described as a "disaster," yet this was not noted on her death certificate.
- The hospital's TAVI procedure death rate was three times the UK average at the time.
- Staff concerns led to multiple reviews, none of which were initially shared with the public.
- Reviews and reports highlighted safety and transparency issues with the TAVI service.
- The TAVI procedure replaces a heart valve using a catheter, often taking one to two hours and typically involves older patients.
- Dorothy Readhead, an 87-year-old patient, died after a TAVI operation where the medical team made an error in the procedure.
