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Edinburgh surgeon who performed life-changing surgery on brave boy 'suspended'

Document Cited in Related
Vincent
Published date27 March 2024
AuthorVivienne Aitken
Publication titleEdinburghLive (Scotland)
Dr Chris Adams, who is a consultant spine surgeon at NHS Lothian, has previously spoken out about lengthy wait lists that have seen patients deteriorate while waiting for operations

One of his patients was Harvey Martin, 10, who appealed through the Daily Record and with then First Minister Nicola Sturgeon for help. He was suffering from an agonising curvature in his spine, which needed immediate medical intervention.

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But Dr Adams told his family he would have to wait months for treatment because of lengthy waiting lists – despite the fact his organs were being slowly crushed. Dr Adams' hands were tied because he could not get the theatre time he needed to try to tackle the backlog of cases and he told how a lack of staff had led to cancellations.

After the Daily Record highlighted his case Harvey got his operation, just in time, because the scoliosis was just 2mm away from his spinal cord by then.

Little Harvey now needs a second operation as his spine has moved again and is already 7mm away from the cord. The family have been dealing directly with Dr Adams because of the trauma involved last year.

But Natalie said: "I was shown a Facebook post from another mum who had been advised by Dr Adams to go to the press over problems with her son's case and she wrote that he had been suspended.

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"I contacted his secretary and was told he couldn't be contacted. No-one from the hospital...

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