NHS boss Sir Jim Mackey backed heart surgeon whose failures contributed to deaths

The head of the NHS England supported Doctor whose failures contributed to several deaths To resume your career as a heart surgeon.

Sir Jim McCa told the family of a patient who died after an operation conducted by Karen But, that the surgeon -consultant should “support” to continue to work in the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle as soon as she was retraining.

Bi -Bi -See received a meeting of the meeting last year with the family of a deceased person. In it, he tells them that M -Jois will continue his surgical career.

The NHS investigation found that the problems in cases of MS Booth included clinical errors, performing operations that it was not qualified or not enough experience to perform, and not paying attention to the help when it should have.

Sir Jim became the head of the NHS England in April. Prior to that, he was the executive director of Newcastle on Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which controls Freeman for 14 months.

Sir Jim refused to answer the majority of Bi -Bi -th, but said: “We took fears from all sides very seriously, and this was really a difficult case in the fact that it was a very specialized clinical sphere, and this continued for several years.”

In a statement for Bi -Bi -x, Karen Buta said that she continued to “express my condolences to families who lost relatives and who suffered from raised questions.” She said that she “fully cooperates” with a review of the doctors regulator, the General Medical Council (GMC).

Seven people died after multiple failures from Mi -But, the internal investigation discovered, and one patient survived, which was damaged, which can be avoided.

Bi -Bi -y said that the hospital is now planning to allow M.S. But to resume his surgical career in the cardiology department after retraining. This despite the strong opposition from many of its surgical colleagues set forth in emails.

Miss But, Cordial and transplantation surgeonIN Currently, he works as a mentor for other surgeons in the hospital.

In January 2024, shortly after the appointment as Executive Director of TRUST, Sir Jim met the family of Yana Philip, a builder from Northumberland, who died in 2021 at the age of 54, after it was controlled by Mr. But.

The hospital later informed his family that the surgeons working on it could not perform the “bread and oil” procedure, known as the shunting of the transplant, when they experienced complications, which, as the hospital told them, would make his survival “much more likely”.

Bi -Bi -Ts received a meeting of the meeting, at which the partner of Mr. Philip Melissa Kokburn and his son Liam took part.

Sir Jim told them that the baut could continue his surgical career because it was not authorized by the GMC or the internal investigation of HR.

“She should go through the process of support, retraining, her practice was controlled, etc. For a certain period of time, before she is again allowed to completely practice independently,” said Sir Jim.

“We, as an employer, must decide whether it is here or somewhere else.”

Bi -Bi -See understands that Freeman’s hospital came up, at least, one more trust in order to ask if they would want to hire MS on a stand.

Mr. Philip's family told BBC that they were surprised by Sir Jim's comments. “It is strange for me that Freeman will think that it is appropriate [to bring her back]- said the son of Yana, Liam Philip. “As far as they can do, it is to say that she will not return.”

January 1, 2024, Sir Jim became the Executive Director of The Newcastle on Tyne Hospital Trust. The family said that she hoped that his appointment in the trust would help their business.

“[We] Christmas passed with great hope, thinking that he was a new person to figure out everything, ”recalls Melissa, Mr. Philip's partner.

But she said that she ultimately discovered Sir Jim “rather arrogant and supporting what is on the booth of the r -Jew than our difficult situation.”

Many of the surgical colleagues of the bout repeatedly made it clear to the older leadership of Trust that they did not want her to return to the heart unit, believing that this was a risk for patients.

It was a question that, in the visible one, also admitted that Sir Jim also admitted. At some point at the meeting, he said that if colleagues do not want to support the surgeon, “the risk of security is significantly increased.”

In her statement, Jo said that she was “grateful to those surgical and wider colleagues in the departments who continue to maintain my reintegration in complete clinical practice.”

The family said that their misfortune with Sir Jim is aggravated by the fact that the GMC has removed the restrictions on the practice of Mr. But after the initial investigation.

When asked to explain why the doctor whose failures contributed to the death of several patients was allowed to continue to practice the operation in the HSP, and what this indicates the importance that he gives public security, the GMC refused to comment.

He said BBC: “Patient safety is at the heart of everything that we do, and we will always take measures where there is a risk to the public.” When he was asked to give examples, it refused.

Patient groups have long complained that the GMC takes too much time to take measures against doctors. He can investigate doctors who turn to him, and decide whether the case is referred to a medical tribunal, which has the right to authorize staff.

The numbers show that since 2020, out of 1120 cases, the GMC moved to the medical tribunal, only 13 were associated with the academic performance of the doctor. When asked to explain why the numbers are so low, the GMC refused to comment.

In a statement for Bi -Bi -Sir Jim said that after joining Newkasl in the Newcasl in the “Truste of the Secrets of the Hospital”, he met families who suffered from the failure of Mr. But, “discuss and listen to their fears and repeat how sorry for their loss and unimaginable pain”.

McCCA continued: “After the official direction made by the General Medical Council in 2022, the investigation of the practice of this surgeon is still ongoing – I admit that this is disappointing everyone, and I asked them what they can do to accelerate this in order to come to the conclusion as soon as possible.

“This surgeon is still not working in NHS.”

M -Joet said that from the GMC review “it would be inappropriate for me to publicly comment on specific issues.”

The investigation of the Freeman Hospital discovered that a number of failures of Miss Boot contributed to its poor results. In addition to surgical mistakes, she found that she had a poor understanding of her own levels of competence, partly thanks to the inexperienced, and that she could not seek help from senior colleagues.

During complaints, the cardiological unit was in a mess in Freeman. In the report of the Royal College of Surgeons in 2021, a problematic working culture was discovered, while the hospital’s internal reports criticized poor management procedures, the reluctance of senior employees to take responsibility and the inappropriate interdisciplinary process of the team (MDT), in which the clinicians should assemble the best options for patients.

Responding to the BBC, the hospital recognized problems with the culture of the unit, saying that she tried to protect patients at any time.

It stated that it is currently “considering the“ next stage of the phased return of Mr. But ”, in accordance with the relevant standards, recommendations for consideration and foreign tips.” This did not answer BBC questions regarding whether the MS Booths are safe to return to the heart unit, given the strong opposition from some of its colleagues.

In her statement, Newcastle on Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust said she acts “in the interests of patients” and seeks to “always support and protect the safety of patients, taking into account the problems separated by clinical colleagues.”