Claims against pelvic surgeon Anthony Dixon subject to new NHS dispute resolution protocol

Women who believe they were left with life changing complications following surgery performed by the UK’s most influential pelvic surgeon, Anthony Dixon, have until 1 August to take advantage of an NHS protocol that has been adopted to coordinate the claims process.

Clinical negligence and personal injury law firm Fletchers Solicitors has been instructed to handle a number of claims against Dixon, who allegedly subjected patients to overly complicated procedures without fully informing them of all the risks.

NHS Bristol NHS Trust’s investigations into his practices, particularly around the mesh rectopexy and Stapled Transanal Resection of the Rectum (STARR) operations he performed, are currently ongoing. In August 2017, the General Medical Council also placed restrictions on his practice, preventing him from carrying out STARR procedures until November of this year.

In anticipation of more legal claims against Dixon, a new protocol that operates as a form of alternative dispute resolution has been adopted by the NHS to coordinate the process, in a bid to control costs and deal with claims promptly, with clients expected to receive an initial decision on their case within a matter of months of notification. For claimants to take the benefit of the protocol, their claim must be notified by 4pm on 1 August.

Amy Hughes, the litigation executive dealing with the case of Valerie Evans, who suffered from severe complications following surgery at the hands of Dixon in 2016, said: “We are representing a number of clients, including Mrs Evans, in connection with treatment provided by Mr Dixon over a period of time, whilst he worked for both the NHS and as a private consultant at the Spire Bristol Hospital.”

“Mr Dixon aimed to pioneer mesh rectopexy in the UK, but surgeries involving mesh have come under intense scrutiny due to the high number of complications associated with them. We are now investigating on behalf of our clients whether Mr Dixon’s recommendations to proceed to surgery, and the way his procedures were carried out, was appropriate, given the incredibly poor outcomes they have suffered.”

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Mark Dugdale