Language
Country/Area
No result found
Bristol Hospital's deadly secret: What's the truth behind the little-known surgical mortality rate?
Whistleblowers who expose misconduct in the UK healthcare system are often seen as heroes, but behind their stories often lie countless hardships and challenges. Stephen Nicholas Cluley Bolsin is such a person. His revelations not only changed the status quo of cardiac surgery at the Bristol Royal Infirmary, but also triggered major changes in the UK's medical management system.
Professional Background
Borsin received his MB, BS from the University of London in 1974 and became a Fellow of the Royal College of Anaesthetists in 1977. He became a Consultant Anaesthetist at Bristol Royal Infirmary in 1989 and was National Audit Co-ordinator for the Society of Cardiothoracic Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland from 1991 to 1996.
Bristol paediatric heart surgery scandalIn 1989, shortly after becoming a consultant anaesthetist, Bolsin noticed an unusually high mortality rate among young babies undergoing heart surgery. He spent six years confirming the high mortality rate and trying to improve surgical services.
However, this also put him in direct conflict with the pediatric heart surgeons at the hospital who were reluctant to be investigated. Ultimately, Bolsin chose to go public with his concerns and become a whistleblower.During this period, the mortality rate for children undergoing heart surgery in Bristol fell from 30% to less than 5%.
The impact of Bolsin's actions
Bolsin's revelations led directly to a government investigation, the Kennedy Report. The report makes wide-ranging recommendations on clinical management in UK hospitals and highlights the importance of ensuring the quality of care provided. From 1989 to 1995, Bolsin published several articles on the quality of cardiac surgery services in different medical journals and participated in the quality assessment work of the Ministry of Health.
Patient safety work in AustraliaBorsin's actions not only reduced the mortality rate of children's heart surgery at the Bristol Royal Infirmary, but also marked the first time such a serious problem was identified and corrected in the UK National Health Service (NHS).
With his career in the UK marred by scandal, Bolsing moved to Australia in 1996 and took up a position as head of anaesthesia and pain management at Geelong Hospital. He has served as Honorary Associate Professor at the University of Melbourne and Monash University, and has continued to promote improvements in patient safety and medical quality in many fields.
In Australia, Bolsin advocates for personalised digital records of medical errors and works with other academics to support medical whistleblowers in an effort to promote accountability and transparency in the healthcare industry.
Awards and recognitions
Bolsin's outstanding contributions have not been officially recognized in the UK, but he has won many awards internationally, including the Frederick Hewitt Medal of the Royal College of Anaesthetists in 2013, the Jackson- Reese Award, etc. His story and achievements continue to inspire new generations of healthcare professionals to speak out and advocate for higher standards of care.
Throughout the case, members of the British Parliament acknowledged that Bolsing sacrificed his career and family life to uphold his conscience.
Review and Outlook
Borsin’s story tells us that as medical professionals, it is the responsibility of every worker to protect patient safety and pursue medical quality. His revelations undoubtedly changed the face of the medical industry and promoted the attention of all sectors to medical safety. In the ever-improving modern medical system, are there more truths waiting for us to discover and reflect on?
