General surgery review highlights areas for improvement at King’s Lynn hospital
Royal College of Surgeons report follows concerns raised in whistleblowing letters
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn has released findings from a report by the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) into its General Surgery services following concerns raised by whistleblowing letters and staff feedback.
In October 2024, the Trust requested the RCS to conduct an independent review to assess service safety, clinical issues, and areas for improvement.
The review closely examined 17 clinical cases, including eight original surgeries and nine cases involving complications or return-to-theatre scenarios.
The report found care below expected standards in eight cases but did not identify any evidence of widespread harm.
The RCS outlined key areas requiring improvement, including recognising patient deterioration, ensuring timely returns to surgery, enhancing surgical decision-making and escalation, improving handovers, increasing consultant accountability, fostering better team culture, and strengthening governance.
The hospital intends to use these findings to implement changes and address the issues highlighted in the report.