More ops reviewed after shock findings

A major recall of hospital patients

- HELENA VESTY

A PRIVATE Manchester hospital has issued an urgent message to patients dating back to 1998. It comes as part of a major recall following the exposure of shocking failures by a prolific spinal surgeon who worked at the hospital.

Spire Healthcare is extending its recall of patients to cover all patients who received specific spinal procedures from 1998 by John Bradley Williamson.

The spinal surgeon - who worked at Salford Royal Hospital, the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital and Spire Manchester Hospital has been shown to have caused numerous cases of severe harm to patients in his decades-long career.

Those cases include a 'surgical catastrophe, where 17-year-old patient Catherine O'Connor died from complications during surgery. Mr Williamson 'misled [a] coroner' over the 2007 death, an investigation found.

The surgeon's work across the three hospitals has been under examination, including by internal and independent reviews. Spire Healthcare says it has already carried out a 'comprehensive recall of patients who underwent specific spinal procedures by Mr Williamson between 2008-2013'.