7 people died of failures by surgeon still employed by NHS

Available for over a year

The BBC has learned seven people have died and another suffered significant harm following multiple failures by a heart surgeon who continues to work for the NHS. Serious concerns about Karen Booth’s performance were first raised by her colleagues in 2018 but an investigation wasn't launched by the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle until 2021. Ms Booth still works at the hospital, which plans to allow her to resume her surgical career in the coming months. The BBC’s social affairs correspondent Michael Buchanan spoke to Matt Bailey.