What to do if you receive a letter from a hospital explaining that you have received poor or unnecessary care

Posted: 29/09/2021

In recent years, we have seen countless examples of hospitals, both private and NHS, carrying out internal investigations into the care provided to patients. Sometimes, as part of these investigations, concerns are raised about the treatment patients have received and this leads to the hospital sending a letter to those patients to explain their concerns.

Patients may be invited to attend a review meeting or to undergo an examination with a doctor at which they can discuss their treatment but sometimes a review proceeds without this process and a patient is simply contacted following an independent review of their care.

We are currently receiving enquiries from patients who have recently received letters from Spire, South Bank Hospital in Worcester regarding treatment received from Gloucester based Gynaecologist, Mr Philip Kaloo. According to Spire Healthcare’s website, Mr Kaloo’s practising privileges have been revoked and a precautionary patient notification exercise was commenced in May 2021.

Spire South Bank Hospital has written to previous patients of Mr Kaloo to explain that they believe he performed unnecessary surgery that was not required and that, as a result of this, patients may have come to harm by undergoing avoidable procedures. Patients are advised to contact the Patient Liaison Service at the Spire South Bank Hospital if they have concerns regarding their treatment.

It can be very upsetting to receive a letter, often out of the blue and sometimes years later, explaining that the care you once received is now being reviewed, or has already been reviewed and deemed to have been of a poor standard. It can be very frightening to be informed, unexpectedly, that treatment you believed at the time to have been appropriate or necessary may never have been needed in the first place.

We have acted for a number of patients who have received such letters from both private and NHS hospitals and our team of clinical negligence lawyers are able to help patients understand why it is that their care has been investigated and, sometimes, found to have been inappropriate.

When a client receives such a letter we seek to get in touch with the hospital from the outset and understand what steps were taken as part of the investigation process, what records were reviewed, what experts were instructed and how the conclusions of the investigation were reached. We obtain a copy of our client’s medical records to assess the care provided to them and consider if, and to what extent, any injury has occurred as a result of potentially unnecessary or inappropriate treatment. If it can be shown that avoidable harm and injury has been sustained, we then proceed to pursue a claim for compensation from the appropriate doctor, trust or hospital for the damage caused.

It can be an anxious time knowing that medical care and treatment you received is under question and we’ve often found that some hospitals have offered patients counselling as a result. 

It is important to note that there is a time limit for investigating a claim for compensation as a result of an injury caused by poor medical care. Any court proceedings for clinical negligence claims should be issued within three years of the negligent act (treatment) or the date you were aware that you had suffered a significant injury as a result of the treatment, if this is later. It is therefore important to ensure that advice on a potential claim is sought within a three year time period after receiving a notification letter.

If you have received a notification letter from a hospital that raises concerns regarding treatment you have received and should you wish to discuss this further with a member of our team, please contact us for free on 0800 328 9545.  

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