Hospital recalls 217 private patients after orthopaedic surgeon 'carried out unnecessary or inappropriate shoulder surgeries'

A private hospital at the centre of a breast surgery scandal in which a surgeon bagged 20 years in jail, has recalled hundreds of patients.

Spire Parkway hospital in the West Midlands has recalled 217 patients who received care from Habib Rahman, a consultant orthopaedic surgeon, following an investigation by the Royal College of Surgeons.

Orthopaedic surgeon Habib Rahman is alleged to have performed unnecessary or inappropriate shoulder procedures at Spire Parkway Hospital in Solihull, West Midlands, lawyers said.

Some 217 private patients have been asked to have a follow-up with an independent specialist ‘to review their care and to understand more about their post-operative recovery’, Spire Healthcare said.

Habib Rahman was jailed for 15 years in 2017 after carrying out “extensive, life-changing operations for no medically justifiable reason”, but the sentence was later increased to 20 years.

He was convicted of 17 counts of wounding with intent at Nottingham crown court, relating to nine women and one man, but it is believed his victims numbered in the hundreds.

The court heard that in many cases patients were left disfigured and traumatised after they were wrongly told they had cancer.

A Spire spokesman said: ‘Following the Royal College’s guidance, we wrote to all shoulder patients who were identified as requiring follow up to offer them a consultation with an independent surgeon to review their care and to understand more about their post-operative recovery.

‘That process is still on-going.

‘We would encourage patients who have received a letter to follow up on our offer of a free review by an independent specialist to ensure their care has been as expected.’