The BBC reported on Tuesday 4th June 2025 that the police had launched an investigation into heart deaths at Castle Hill Hospital near Hull. The hospital is run by Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cev404npy4po
Possible negligent cardiac treatment
Patients may have suffered avoidable harm during a cardiac procedure at the Castle Hill Hospital. In some cases, their death certificates failed to disclose that their surgery, operation or procedure contributed to their deaths. It appears that there have been up to three internal and external inquiries have already been conducted, the latest by the Royal College of Physicians. However, the BBC report that the patients’ families only found out about the investigations when they contacted them.
It appears that there were concerns about the care that 11 patients received during a TAVI – Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implant – a procedure to replace a damaged valve in the heart, similar to adding a stent. The Hospital had a mortality rate about three times the national average for such procedures.
Our experience helping people with cardiology claims
We have three decades’ worth of experience dealing with cardiac and heart related claims. Our team have acted for patients impacted by other national scandals, including those of the Leicester Oral and Maxillofacial department and women who have been injured by mesh.
Will the inquiry affect my cardiology negligence claim?
It is noted that there is an ongoing Police Inquiry. Please rest assured, however, that the outcome of the Police Inquiry will unlikely affect your eligibility to bring a medical negligence compensation claim. This is because the burden of proof for criminal and civil cases is different.
For any successful criminal prosecution, it will have to be proven that any deaths or injuries occurred as a result of a gross breach of the duty of care owed by the hospital (or its clinicians) to its patients. The standard of proof will be the very onerous “proof beyond reasonable doubt.” Whereas, to succeed with a medical negligence claim, a patient must show on balance of probability (more likely than not) that they were injured by medical negligence, whether by the organisation or an individual clinician (it could be a consultant, junior doctor, midwife or other professional). This is still far from easy to prove but is not quite as hard as prosecuting a Hospital Trust or doctor in a criminal court.
Contact our cardiology negligence solicitors
If you believe that you or any of your family have been injured or suffered complications as a result of any such procedure, at Castle Hill Hospital, or indeed anywhere in England and Wales, then please do contact us and one of our experts will be able to advise you whether you might have a claim. You can call us free on 0808 164 0808 or fill out the contact form.
