Foreign surgery comes under fire
May, 2004

The Department of Health say complication rates vary
Patients in the West have raised concerns over hospital surgery they received abroad.
Five out of 24 patients from Bath Royal United Hospital, who had knee surgery in France last year have reported complications.

The British Orthopaedic Association says no more than 2% of patients should expect this within such a timescale.

But the government says complications can occur and that there are no agreed figures for complication rates.

Patient Ron Watkins told the BBC: "We were actively encouraged to go to France because of waiting lists here and assured that all the facilities there had been fully vetted by our NHS staff."

It is important to remember that complications can happen after any kind of surgery

Department of Health
Ten weeks after the operation, Mr Watkins says French surgeons told him he only needed two more weeks of physio treatment.

But a consultant at Bath's Royal United Hospital raised concerns about the original surgery after Mr Watkins complained about persistent pain, says the patient.

David Adams, from the British Orthopaedic Association, said: "It is of concern that the rate at which these patients have got into trouble is very high."

In a statement, the Department of Health, said: "A total of 119 patients were sent to the Centre Hospitalier Prive de La Loire from the South West area.

"We understand that 5 of those patients are now receiving further assessment to see if they need any further treatment, and that the local primary care trust is awaiting the results of those assessments.

"It is important to remember that complications can happen after any kind of surgery.

"So far there is no accepted clinical benchmark for complication rates for knee surgery."