Surrey Hospital Examines Over 200 Lung Disease Treatments

A board report indicated that the treatment of over 200 patients for lung disease has been re-evaluated due to concerns that the care provided at a Surrey hospital failed to adhere to best practice guidelines. According to board papers, the Royal College of Physicians will conduct a review to ascertain if the treatment administered to certain patients at Epsom and St Helier Hospital Trust resulted in harm, and “if so, to determine the degree of harm”. These concerns pertain to the management of patients suffering from interstitial lung disease (ILD) by a single consultant from 2019 to 2023, with initial issues having been brought to light five years prior. A spokesperson for the hospital issued an apology, stating that the care provided to some patients was “falling short of what it should have been,” and confirmed that measures had been implemented to prevent recurrence. Richard Jennings, the group chief medical officer, stated in a report: “In retrospect it is clear that these concerns were not sufficiently looked into at the time they were first raised in 2019.” The report further noted that worries had been “raised through a number of avenues,” pointing to “possible departures from recognised best practice” which might have resulted in harm “as a result of patients not receiving disease modifying treatment in a timely way.” The report described ILDs as a “broad spectrum of conditions,” distinguished by inflammation or fibrosis within the lungs, which causes a reduction in oxygen levels. These are identified as “chronic, progressive conditions which can be difficult to diagnose and require collaborative expertise,” and the report indicated that most of the affected patients had been diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. A hospital examination of the records for 1,608 patients, a significant portion of which were paper-based instead of electronic, pinpointed individuals with ILD, and among these, 216 whose care “in some way did not meet best practice guidance.” Among the impacted patients, 91 had passed away, while 125 remained living. Issues identified included insufficient investigation in 20% of cases, failure to refer to a specialist ILD multidisciplinary team meeting in 42% of cases, absence of treatment in 30% of cases, and unsuitable treatment in 9%. All affected patients, with the exception of two whom the trust could not reach, have now been reviewed, and essential modifications or rectifications to their treatment plans have commenced. Dr Jennings issued a statement saying: “We are sorry that the care received by some of our patients with ILD fell short of what it should have been when a doctor did not keep up with evolving national best practice guidelines.” For updates, follow BBC Surrey on Facebook and X. Story ideas can be sent to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or via WhatsApp at 08081 002250. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.