Police investigation launched into cardiac deaths at Castle Hill Hospital, Hull
Humberside Police has launched a criminal investigation into cardiac care at Castle Hill Hospital in Hull, following concerns about the deaths of several patients who underwent aortic valve procedures between 2019 and 2023.
The police investigation follows a series of internal reviews, whistleblowing by NHS staff, and a recent BBC News report, which revealed that the hospital’s mortality rate for the transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) procedure was three times higher than the national average during that period.
TAVI – transcatheter aortic valve implantation – is a minimally invasive procedure used to treat aortic stenosis, a condition in which the aortic valve narrows, restricting blood flow from the heart.
The procedure is commonly used as an alternative to open-heart surgery and involves inserting a catheter through an artery in the leg or chest, to deliver and implant a new valve. This approach is considered less invasive, safe and usually takes between one and two hours.
Despite its widespread use across the UK, serious concerns have been raised regarding how the TAVI procedure was performed at Castle Hill Hospital. These concerns prompted several reviews commissioned by the hospital trust and the Royal College of Physicians (RCP).
The RCP review identified a range of serious issues, including:
Poor clinical decision-making
Avoidable errors during procedures
Inaccurate or misleading death certificates, including a lack of detailing about the failed procedures
A “lack of urgency” and failure to mitigate risk in high-risk patients
Lack of transparency with families (relatives of some patients were not informed about what happened during the operations until the BBC made contact with them)
The case of 87-year-old Dorothy Redhead highlights the severity of the issues. Mrs Redhead underwent the TAVI procedure in 2020, and although this typically lasts only two hours, the surgery instead lasted six.
A catheter was reportedly inserted into her right leg, despite a known blocked artery, causing a tear in the femoral artery. Tragically, she passed away during surgery.
Despite this, her family was not informed of the complications. Her death certificate listed pneumonia as the cause of death. The RCP later confirmed the TAVI procedure should have been noted, as it directly contributed to her death.
Another patient, Brian Hunter from Grimsby, was among 11 individuals whose cases were reviewed. The RCP found that there had been a “lack of urgency” in treating Mr Hunter. When his TAVI procedure eventually took place, it was carried out with technical errors. Blood was allowed to leak back into the heart, contributing to his death. His family were wrongly told he died from a heart attack.
Despite internal warnings from consultants, who urged the hospital trust to consider suspending the TAVI service, the unit continued to operate.
Hospitals are under a duty of candour whereby they must be open and honest with patients and their families when medical treatment may have caused harm, or where it may have exposed someone to significant harm in the future.
The report has highlighted significant concern that duty of candour has not been followed, raising a breadth of ethical questions.
The investigation is very much ongoing, but the involvement of Humberside Police is indicative of the gravity of the situation.
If you or a loved one received cardiac treatment, particularly a TAVI procedure, at Castle Hill Hospital between 2019 and 2023 and have concerns about the care or outcome, we strongly urge you to seek advice as soon as possible. You may have grounds to pursue a medical negligence claim.
At Wilkin Chapman Rollits, our specialist medical negligence team is here to help. We provide confidential, compassionate legal advice and will guide you through the claims process with clarity and sensitivity.
Contact Jaye to discuss this further.
