Solicitors representing more than 200 patients cared for by a disgraced respiratory consultant say their cases need to be examined by independent experts. 

An independent review has been called for into the treatment of more than 200 patients after it was found three people may have died prematurely and others suffered permanent harm while under the care of a consultant at a London hospital. 

Veronica Varney, a respiratory consultant at St Helier Hospital in south London, provided outdated care to patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD), while withholding proven drugs. 

A report by the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), published last month, looked at 28 cases between 2019 and 2022. It found that 12 patients suffered severe harm and that three had not been given treatments that could have extended their lives. 

In response, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust apologised and said it will review the care of more than 200 patients. 

However, solicitors representing the patients treated by Varney argue the trust’s investigation should be led by independent experts. 

The trust previously identified 216 cases between 2019 and 2023 where the care provided by Varney failed to meet the best practice guidance. Some 91 have since died. 

ILD is the term for a group of conditions that scar the lungs and make breathing progressively harder. The majority of patients in the RCP report had the most aggressive form. 

Trust between the hospital and patients has already been broken, Maria Repanos, head of clinical negligence at Hudgell Solicitors (Manchester), said.  

Families have a right to feel reassured that no stone will be left unturned in the latest review, Repanos added, going on: “A review process which is not external, objective and independent cannot offer that reassurance at all.”

Looking at the hospital’s role, the RCP report pointed to strained relationships between clinical leaders and poor routes for raising concerns, as well as the fact that the two respiratory departments were on different sites. The disruption caused by the pandemic was also a factor. 

Treatment delayed

In January 2023, Varney was restricted from seeing patients at the hospital, and retired that April. She was formally referred to the General Medical Council (GMC) in September 2024. 

This month, Varney was made the subject of an interim suspension by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service. 

The RCP review was commissioned by the trust and looked at the records of patients chosen at random. 

It found that patients were advised to avoid rapeseed oil, flu and Covid vaccinations, contrary to national guidelines for people with ILD. 

Treatment was delayed or never started in some cases, and the consultant misread lung function test results. In one case, a patient was told their symptoms were down to poor fitness and was given dietary advice rather than treatment. 

The trust said it was clear that it should have acted sooner and that some staff who raised concerns were not properly supported. 

Speaking to investigators, Varney said she raised concerns about side effects associated with antifibrotic medication, which can slow down the most aggressive form of ILD, and preferred to try other methods first. 

She attributed some delays in starting antifibrotic medication to patient choice, as well as staff shortages. 

Richard Jennings, group chief medical officer at the trust, said the investigation will follow the RCP’s methods to ensure it is “thorough, transparent and clinically robust.” 

Patients and their families have been written to and invited to discuss any concerns they may have, he said. 

The hospitals have acted upon the recommendations made by the RCP in their report, Jennings added.