Leighton Hospital: Solicitors look into ex-farmer's care

Winston Baldwin, aged 74, initially attended the Crewe hospital in April 2019 for an operation to reverse a stoma.

A small hernia developed after that surgery and Winston was advised it would be operated on in about six months.

But nothing was done before the Covid-19 pandemic hit the UK in early 2020 and the hernia was left untreated - with surgeons at multiple hospitals in the years that followed telling him surgery was now too risky.

Winston, from Crewe, has d to go into a care home and says his life has been almost unbearable for the last four years due to the pain and loss of independence.

He suffered a spinal fracture caused by the weight of the hernia and the stretched skin on his abdomen is ulcerated and extremely sore.

Winston's untreated hernia grew to the size of a beach ball (Image: Winston Baldwin)

Now solicitors specialising in medical negligence at law firm JMW are investigating his care to find out if there were missed opportunities to operate on the hernia at an earlier stage and reduce Winston’s suffering.

Winston, who also wants to prevent anyone else ending up with such a debilitating hernia, said: "The hernia has had a very severe impact on my quality of life and health for the last four years.

"It’s very painful and I’ve lost all my independence.

"The NHS seems to be in a very bad way for this to have happened and I would say to anyone else who can afford to get private treatment early on to do so, so that they don’t end up in the same situation as I have.

"It is the psychological side of it too that’s debilitating. I end up feeling like a freak and it should not have got to this stage. I just don’t want anyone else to suffer as I have."

Madeleine Langmead, Winston’s medical negligence solicitor at JMW, is currently investigating what went wrong and why for him to be left in such a poor condition and for any patient safety issues to be dealt with to protect other patients.

She said: "This is a very distressing case and Winston has suffered severe health problems due to the size of the hernia.

"His ordeal has been going on for a long time and the delays he has faced are a particular concern to me.

"I am hoping to obtain answers for Winston and hold those responsible for treatment of the hernia fully accountable for their decisions.

"It is also vital for any lessons to be learned so that the risk of this happening to another patient is minimised."

Dr Clare Hammell, medical director at the Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust - which runs Leighton Hospital - said: "We are extremely sorry to hear Mr Baldwin continues to experience such discomfort and disability as a result of his condition.

"The pandemic did lead to lengthy delays for many patients as the NHS prioritised those requiring cancer treatment and urgent procedures.

"Some patients will have seen a deterioration in their condition while they awaited treatment.

"We are unable to share the specifics of this case for patient confidentiality reasons, however we can advise due to his complexities it is unlikely he would have been suitable for treatment even without the delay in his assessment.

"We will continue to support Mr Baldwin for as long as we are able and do hope that a solution can be found to improve his quality of life."

In the meantime, Winston has been given a ray of hope by surgeons at Arrowe Park Hospital in Birkenhead, who he saw in March 2023 after they contacted him when they were made aware of his plight by ITV Granada Reports.

The surgeons believe they can remove the hernia and Winston is now trying to become a little stronger so that he can have the operation.

Winston added: "When they said ‘yes we can do that’ I nearly fell through the floor.

"I am walking on air. I’m chuffed to bits. I just want my life back and this has made me feel very positive that it could happen."

On March 30, Winston will feature on an ITV Tonight programme about NHS delays to share his story and highlight the impact on him.