A specialist surgeon at Addenbrooke’s has been suspended after a review found that operations they carried out on nine children fell “below expected standards”.

Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH) called for an external review last October after staff raised initial concerns.

The review, completed in January, focused on several complex paediatric hip surgery cases at the major trauma centre. It found that several children’s quality of life had been affected.

While the procedures in question did not result in amputation, some of the children required further surgery that would not have been needed without prior complications, said CUH.

The Trust established a hotline for anyone with concerns about the care on offer at the hospital. By Monday morning (17/02), the Trust received 41 calls from families of former patients.

CUH’s Chief Executive, Roland Sinker, told ITV News Anglia he was “desperately sorry” for “letting the families down”.

“We take this matter extremely seriously and are committed to ensuring that all affected patients and families receive appropriate care and support,” Sinker continued.

NHS England plans to conduct a “wider review” into complex orthopaedic and spinal surgery.

A spokesperson said: “In addition to the Trust’s review of cases and investigation into whether this unacceptable practice could have been stopped sooner, NHS England will be conducting a wider review into high-complexity, low-volume orthopaedic and spinal surgery services.”

Addenbrooke’s is the second NHS hospital performing complex surgery to have the work of a paediatric surgeon reviewed in the last six months.