De Freitas v O'Brien and Connolly

(1995) 6 Med LR 108

COURT OF APPEAL

Lord Justice LEGGATT, Lord Justice SwintonTHOMAS, and Lord Justice OTTON

Professional liability — Orthopaedic surgeon — Negligence — Diagnosis and treatment — Nerve root compression — Exploratory surgery — Whether orthopaedic surgeon was negligent in performing operations when there was no clear clinical or radiological evidence to substantiate requirement for operation to take place — Whether there is now a recognised sub-speciality of spinal surgery which should be judged by its own standards