Netcare Orthopaedic Surgery

Conclusion

Our concern is motivated by the lack of certainty that follows from the report. The narrow scope of this review is very disappointing. With such a limited investigation it is impossible to test Netcare’s assertion that its care was satisfactory. In substance the review focuses upon the clinical performance of one foreign surgeon, who makes an easy scapegoat, without considering broader issues.

Laurence Vick considers that this report shows a worryingly retrograde attitude, commenting: “it appears that the lessons have not been learnt from the Bristol Heart Babies Inquiry. In the wake of Bristol a sea change in the attitude towards transparency was demanded and great strides have been taken within the NHS to achieve a new culture of accountability. The families that fought for the Public Inquiry may feel they have fought in vain if an additional tier of private health delivery can undermine this openness. It should not be left to lawyers to push these points time and again. However, those left with serious injuries as a result of the Haslar failures are forced to go to litigation. Their injuries become a commercial dispute between NHS Trusts and private healthcare providers rather than a matter of patient-care. It flies in the face of the Bristol legacy”.

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