Latest news with #HullUniversityTeachingHospitalsNHSTrust
ITV News
6 days ago
- Health
- ITV News
Castle Hill Hospital faces legal action over seven TAVI heart operation deaths
Seven families are taking legal action against a hospital over the deaths of loved ones after routine heart operations. Humberside Police said last month it was investigating a number of deaths linked to transcatheter aortic valve implantations (TAVIs), at Castle Hill Hospital in Cottingham, East Yorkshire. Solicitors say the families all experienced surgery "not being fully explained" and "a lack of transparency" from Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. The families say they only learned of wider concerns about the procedures following media reports. Stuart Fields' mother Barbara, 76, suffered a stroke after having a TAVI and died three days later. He said doctors claimed the operation had been a "success because they believe it went well". He added: "The fact my mother had a stroke 10 minutes after waking up, and died three days later, seems irrelevant to them. They are in denial. "Their narrative completely changed from before the procedure to what they were saying afterwards. Before we were told it was being done to improve her quality of life and extend her life. "After she'd died their narrative was that she'd have died after six months anyway without the procedure. The attitude has been appalling." Mr Fields said the family had been denied access to statistics on injury and death rates related to TAVI procedures. 'It was only when the recent story broke in the press about the police investigating deaths, and that thedeath rate at one stage being three times higher than the national average, that we knew more than ushad been affected," he said. "We always suspected so.' TAVI is a heart valve treatment designed for people with heart disease who are not considered well enough for major surgery. During the procedure, a catheter with a balloon on the tip is inserted into an artery in either the upper leg or the chest, which is then passed into the heart and positioned near the opening of the aortic value. The balloon is then inflated, creating space for a new tissue value which is put in position and expanded. TAVI puts less strain on the body as the heart does not need to be stopped and placed on bypass but is also recognised to carry a significant risk. Hudgell Solicitors is representing the families involved. The firm said cases being investigated date back to 2019, when TAVI procedures were introduced at the hospital, and involve patients aged 75 to 87. The most recent was August last year, five months after the trust was presented with the findings of a 2023 Royal College of Physicians (RCP) review into 11 deaths following TAVI procedures. The review identified poor levels of care in six cases, one of which was described as "very poor". Solicitor Neil Hudgell said: 'The time has come for full transparency and proper accountability. 'We are now putting the next steps in motion towards achieving that by requesting full medical recordsof the patients whose families have come to us seeking answers around their treatment at Castle HillHospital and their subsequent deaths, and putting the trust on notice of intended legal action. "Over recent weeks we have met and spoken at length with seven families who all tell a similar story ofthe risks and outcomes of surgery not being fully explained to them, and then a lack of transparency andclarity after their loved ones had passed. "They are quite simply furious with the trust and they want answers." The hospital trust has been approached for comment. In a statement last month NHS Humber Health Partnership said families who had lost loved ones following TAVI treatment had been invited to discuss the cases. The Care Quality Commission (CQC), the regional Integrated Care Board (ICB) and the Royal College of Physicians remained "confident" in Castle Hill's service, they said.
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Hospitals scan more patients with AI technology
Staff at NHS hospitals in Hull said AI technology had cut MRI scan times, allowing them to see more patients. Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said the software used algorithms to help reduce background noise, helping to achieve sharper images in a shorter time. Karen Bunker, head of imaging, said: "This means we can reduce the scanning time on certain sequences, but still get the same imaging quality." The software has been installed at Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital and will also be introduced at Scunthorpe General Hospital and Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby. The Air Recon Deep Learning (ARDL) software was installed on the hospitals' existing MRI machines. Staff said the software was cutting between 10 and 15 minutes from average scan times. A routine MRI head scan used to take 30 minutes but now takes 20, the trust said, while a prostate scan now takes 30 minutes instead of 45. The trust added it can now scan 31 lumber spine patients over a 12 hour period, instead of 21 before. Ms Bunker said: "People who struggle with claustrophobia or those with learning disabilities, who previously couldn't tolerate a scan, are finding they are able to endure the shorter scan times." Staff also reported fewer children needed to have a general anaesthetic to get through a scan. Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. AI in healthcare: what are the risks for the NHS? Hospitals will use AI to speed up patient care AI 'co-pilot' used to speed up cancer diagnosis Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Patients warned of long waits at A&E
Patients attending A&E at Hull Royal Infirmary or Castle Hill Hospital with non-urgent conditions have been warned to expect "lengthy waits". Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said its hospitals were "very busy" on Saturday. The Trust said it was prioritising patients with a serious injury or life-threatening illness. It asked patients to use an alternative service if possible, such as local pharmacies, urgent treatment centres or the NHS 111 service. Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
BBC News
22-02-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Patients warned of long waits at Hull hospitals A&E
Patients attending A&E at Hull Royal Infirmary or Castle Hill Hospital with non-urgent conditions have been warned to expect "lengthy waits".Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said its hospitals were "very busy" on Saturday. The Trust said it was prioritising patients with a serious injury or life-threatening asked patients to use an alternative service if possible, such as local pharmacies, urgent treatment centres or the NHS 111 service. Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Coroner raises concerns over vulnerable man's death
A coroner has raised concerns over the treatment of a man with severe learning disabilities who died in hospital. David Lodge, 40, was found in his Hull home lying next to his carer father, who had himself died a few days earlier. An inquest in December found that Mr Lodge died of "natural causes contributed to by neglect". Assistant coroner Edward Steele has written a Prevention of Future Deaths report highlighting issues with Mr Lodge's treatment at Hull Royal Infirmary. Mr Lodge died on 13 January 2022 from bilateral pneumonia, a day after being admitted to hospital. In his report, Mr Steele said: "No chest examination was performed and there was a missed opportunity to transfer to the intensive care unit." He added: "The treating physicians in evidence agreed that there should have been a high index of suspicion of pneumonia in Mr Lodge's case and that it is one of the leading causes of death for people with learning disabilities." The coroner said that although Mr Lodge was given sedatives, he was not provided with pain relief, despite a family member requesting it. He also said that "no internal investigation or other form of serious incident investigation" was carried out by the trust following the death. In a statement, Mr Lodge's family said they hoped the trust would "address some of the ways in which Hull Royal Infirmary failed him once he got to hospital". They added: "The inquest findings that the care provided to David was so substandard was shocking. "David was a person, first and foremost, but that was forgotten by those treating him." A spokesperson for Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said: "We would like to extend our deepest condolences to the family of Mr Lodge. "We always try to learn where processes could be improved and will be responding to the coroner in due course." Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. Coroner raises concerns over patient's death Coroner's concerns over ambulance response times Coroner raises concern over falls at hospitals Coroner's concern as baby dies after forceps birth Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
