MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE

Were You Treated by Surgeon Leslie Irwin? You Could Be Eligible to Make a Claim

Patient alert: Spire Washington Hospital and South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust are both reviewing care given by former surgeon Mr Leslie Irwin. If he operated on you and nobody has been in touch, you can still ask us for a free review of your treatment.

You put your trust in your surgeon, went through the operations, and did everything you were asked to do. Now you're being told some of that surgery may never have been needed.

20+ years

Mr Irwin operated at Spire Washington Hospital, from 2001 to 2023

What is the Leslie Irwin patient recall about?

Leslie Irwin is a former consultant orthopaedic surgeon who focused on the upper limb: the hand, wrist, fingers, elbow and shoulder. He treated patients at the private Spire Washington Hospital in Tyne and Wear between 2001 and 2023, and worked for the NHS at Sunderland Royal Hospital, part of South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust, until he retired from the Trust in 2022.

Spire Healthcare has since opened a formal review of procedures he performed. Reporting by ITV Tyne Tees and the Sunderland Echo has described patients who were told their operations lacked a clear clinical reason, were technically flawed, or left them in more pain and with less movement than before.

One patient who has spoken publicly, David Render from Washington, was referred to Spire through the NHS after injuring his wrist in a fall. Over roughly four years he had a run of operations on his wrists, fingers and elbows. He told ITV Tyne Tees he had idolised his surgeon at the time. Spire has since apologised to him, and he now lives with ongoing pain that has stopped him doing things he used to enjoy.

2022

Mr Irwin carries out private and NHS-referred operations at Spire Washington Hospital, alongside NHS work at Sunderland Royal Hospital.

2001 to 2023

Worried this affects you? A short, free conversation is all it takes to find out.

How many patients could be affected?

The full picture isn't known yet, but the concerns reported so far are serious. Some patients have described having numerous operations over many years, occasionally on parts of the body outside Mr Irwin's specialist area, such as the hip or shoulder.

The patterns emerging in reporting include repeated surgery on the same area without an obvious clinical need, procedures that went beyond the patient's original referral, and outcomes that left people considerably worse off. With both a private hospital and an NHS Trust now reviewing cases, more former patients are likely to come forward.

In England and Wales you usually have three years to start a medical negligence claim. That period often runs from when you first knew, or reasonably should have known, that your treatment harmed you, not from the date of the operation.

Many of Mr Irwin's former patients are only finding out now that their care may have fallen short, so please get advice promptly.

Could you be one of the patients affected?

You may be able to claim if Mr Leslie Irwin operated on you and any of these apply:

✓ A doctor has since told you the surgery wasn't needed or wasn't clinically justified

✓ Your pain, strength or movement hasn't improved, or has got worse, since your operation

✓ You needed repeat surgery on the same joint without lasting benefit

✓ Spire Washington Hospital or the NHS Trust has contacted you about a review of your care

✓ You had an operation on an area you weren't referred for, such as a hip or shoulder when you were referred for a hand problem

✓ Later scans or another surgeon found problems such as badly positioned screws, plates or implants

Operations under scrutiny include surgery on the hand, fingers, wrist, elbow, shoulder and hip. Patients who paid privately and patients referred by the NHS may both be affected.

Yes, giving up his GMC registration ends Mr Irwin's ability to practise, but it doesn't stop patients bringing a civil surgical

Depending on how and where you were treated, a claim may be made through Mr Irwin's medical indemnity cover, against Spire Healthcare or against South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust for NHS care. Working out the right organisation to claim against is one of the first things your solicitor will do.

Spire's public apology and its decision to run a formal recall matter. They don't prove every individual case, but they show serious concerns about the standard of care have already been recognised.

Time limits may also be less of a barrier than you fear. If you only recently learned your surgery may have been substandard, your three years may only have started recently too.

The sooner you ask, the sooner you'll know.

● Your pain, suffering and the effect on your everyday life

● The cost of corrective surgery, physiotherapy or other treatment

● Lost income, including future earnings if you can't return to work

● Care and support from professionals or family members

● Home adaptations, aids and equipment

● Psychological injury, such as anxiety or losing confidence in medical care

● Travel, prescriptions and other expenses

Every claim is valued on its own facts: how badly you were affected, what treatment you need and your long-term outlook. The NJS Law solicitors who handle Medical Claim Direct cases will give you a straightforward, honest view from your very first conversation.

Not sure you qualify? Ask for a free, no-obligation assessment. There's no pressure to go any further.