Claim commenced against heart surgeon Ian Clark Wilson

Claim commenced after heart surgeon performed excessive surgery

We were instructed to commence legal action by the widow of Mr Peter Brookes, who died after receiving open heart surgery carried out by the now suspended cardiothoracic surgeon, Mr Ian Wilson.

Mr Brookes had nearly double the surgery he actually needed. He never regained consciousness and died in intensive care. Shoosmiths represented the family at the inquest, where the coroner maintained that, had Mr Brookes been operated on by a different surgeon, in all likelihood he would have survived.

The narrative verdict also concluded that Mr Brookes had undergone excessive surgery, prolonging the procedure unnecessarily and directly causing brain damage and death. The information disclosed and the inquest verdict persuaded Mrs Brooks to pursue a clinical negligence claim, which is ongoing.

The Trust concerned recently admitted liability and confirmed that, had Mr Brookes received non-negligent treatment, he would have survived. Missed opportunities to identify problems and accurately record patient data by Mr Wilson resulted in this very tragic case. It is still not clear how many of his other patients were harmed by his practices.

Although emotionally demanding, the inquest and claim process has enabled Mrs Brookes to get the truth about her husband's treatment. Compensation, while never making up for the loss she has suffered, will at least assist her in managing financially without her husband.

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This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. It is recommended that specific professional advice is sought before acting on any of the information given. © Shoosmiths LLP 2025