"Left in the Dark After Surgical Complication"

I’m writing to share my mum’s experience following her hip replacement surgery at the Golden Jubilee mid June. During the surgery she suffered a fractured femur which required repair with cables (we were told this is a very rare occurrence). Since then, the follow-up care and communication have really eroded any trust we had.

My mum’s six-week follow-up appointment and x-ray (which she had been counting on for reassurance and a clearer outlook on her recovery) were unexpectedly postponed by two weeks, with no clear reason given, and rescheduled for mid August. However, after two more weeks of pain and sleepless nights, that appointment has now been cancelled again with no alternative date offered and no indication given as to when she might be seen. With no pro-active solution or support being offered, my mum has had to push for something to be done herself as she’s not going through a normal recovery and urgently needs reassurance about the fracture healing. She has no guidance on what she can safely do e.g. driving, lying on her side, or increasing weight-bearing and it’s essentially putting her recovery and life on hold.

Communication throughout the whole process has been extremely poor. My mum has had to repeatedly remind the hospital staff that she has a fracture, including the nurses on the ward – there was also a worrying incident later the same evening of her surgery when she was in extreme pain and offered paracetamol after asking for pain relief repeatedly; she then had to push to be given something stronger. The surgeon’s secretary also seemed unaware of the complication when calling to cancel the follow-up appointments (although she has been friendly and as helpful as she could be given the circumstances.)

As far as we’re aware, the Duty of Candour process was not initiated following the complication, despite this causing my mum further harm and significantly impacting her recovery. A brief conversation was had with my dad the day after the surgery, explaining what had happened and how the repair was carried out. However, my mum was understandably sleep-deprived, on strong painkillers, and not in the best position to have this conversation at the time. She was hopeful that her follow-up appointment would be an opportunity to speak with the surgeon herself to better understand why this happened and be reassured that it was taken seriously and that any learning had been identified, as well as to be (hopefully) reassured that she's healing as expected. Unfortunately, no one at the hospital has taken the time to recognise or show accountability for managing the situation. The overall impression is that the issue is being ignored.

We don’t mean to place blame, sometimes these things happen, and there are obviously risks with any surgery. But clear communication, transparency, and support would go such a long way in helping patients like my mum feel safe and cared for. This situation is having a serious impact on my mum’s mental health and making her recovery much harder; she’s left unsure whether what she’s experiencing is normal or whether it’s going to have long term implications for her recovery and that’s frightening. Not to mention the potential impact on her eventual return to work and therefore financial situation. Overall, she's struggling to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

My mum had been waiting the be called back recently, hoping an appointment could be arranged with a different surgeon, but it went well past office hours and she was left wondering if she might receive a call back the next morning with a same-day slot. We’re left pessimistic considering how things have gone up until now – which is a shame considering my mum’s initial positive outlook and relief at her surgery being done at the Golden Jubilee – it’s been a completely different experience than she’d hoped for.

I’m sharing this in the hope that others – especially those who might be more vulnerable, or without a support system and unable to advocate for themselves – won’t have to go through the same experience, and to highlight how damaging poor communication and lack of follow-up can be after a serious surgical complication.