Ipswich Hospital accused of performing hysterectomy

Frances Whitley, 79, who now lives in St. Louis, Missouri, received treatment from Ipswich Hospital from around 2001 and 2008. 

However the Ipswich woman only learnt last year from a scan that a hysterectomy had been performed - something she says was never relayed to her at the time.

Medical reports complied by US doctors seen by The Ipswich Star confirm this with the results of an abdomen pelvis CT scan dated 31 January 2023 stated, "the patient appears to have undergone a hysterectomy".

Frances Whitley pictured last year. (Image: Frances Whitley) A separate write up of a meeting Ms Whitley had with a clinician in April 2023 noted that it was "quite distressing to her as she has never had, to her knowledge, a hysterectomy".  

Ms Whitley, who would have been in her 60s at time of the operation, said: "I went to my GP who is from Egypt. He said that he couldn't imagine something like that happening in England but maybe in his country.

"I got so terribly worked up and upset about it. I've been seeing a therapist. I've been on anti-depressants; I can't get it out of my mind."

Around four scans have confirmed that a hysterectomy had been performed. 

Ms Whitley was diagnosed with Crohn's disease an inflammatory bowel disease in the early 2000s and in June 2008 went to Ipswich Hospital to have an ileostomy performed.

The surgical procedure creates an opening in the abdomen known as a stoma to divert waste out of the body.

Frances Whitley pictured in 2012. (Image: Frances Whitley) Ms Whitley says that the morning after the ileostomy a meeting was held. 

She recalls in attendance was the surgeon who was meant to be performing the procedure standing at the back of the room and a consultant she had never met before. 

She learnt the consultant had taken over the surgery after an "accident" had occurred - her ureter was severed which meant a kidney drain had to be performed. 

She said: "At no point was it relayed to me that a hysterectomy had occurred. I think, however, that this was the only time at which it could have occurred—I’ve never had any surgery anywhere else.

"The ureter mistake suggests other errors could have occurred at that time—the proximity of the uterus to the bladder is very close and it is not unreasonable to believe this is when the hysterectomy was performed." Ms Whitley believes that as she would not be able to have more children that she was not told.

Further queries have been raised as on Ms Whitley’s NHS Clinical Information Summary it states that she had a hysterectomy performed at Ipswich Hospital on April 23 2002 - six years earlier than she believes it occurred.

Although she did have an IUD a small plastic device inserted into the uterus to prevent pregnancy removed at the time there is no indication that a hysterectomy was performed then. 

Ipswich Hospital says no further investigations will be possible due to the time that has passed. (Image: Sarah Lucy Brown)

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust who run the hospital said that NHS complaint regulations state that concerns or complaints need to be raised within 12 months of the relevant incident.

The trust also said that they had explained this to Ms Whitley when they wrote to her last month after she had made contact with the trust. 

Dr Tim Leary interim chief medical officer at East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust said: “We were very sorry to learn about the concerns Ms Whitley has about the care she received at Ipswich Hospital.

“A clinical review of her care was requested and carried out after she made contact with our Patient Advice and Liaison Service last month.

"However, due to the time that has passed, and the retirement of the clinicians involved, we regret that we are unable to investigate further.”