
Reports suggest that over 10,000 NHS patients have been provided faulty knee replacements, which may require a secondary surgery. The NexGen Zimmer Biomets are currently the second most used knee implants brand in the UK. It is thought that these implants have a far higher rate of failure than is acceptable. This means that patients have been left with pain and in many of cases requiring further surgery which comes with its own risk. Those patients who have experienced this are able to claim compensation for the suffering which has been caused.
How is Patient Claim Line Helping?
Patient Claim Line have formulated a team medical negligence experts, which is being headed up by Christian Beadell, Head of Group Actions. The specialist team are currently investigating medical negligence claims in relation to the Nexgen range of knee replacements.
What is The Issue With The Knee Replacements?
The National Joint Registry (NJR) disclosed that this medical equipment has an unacceptably high revision rate. This means that there is an increased risk of needing to replace them in the future. Zimmer Biomet, the company which manufactures these knee replacements, has also issued an urgent safety notice for the implants.
The documents published by NJR evaluate the performance of joint replacement surgery on an effort to improve the quality of service provided, facilitate research analysis and improve outcomes for patients.
Knee replacements should last around 15 years, before a replacement is required. However, a study has noted that 17.6% of Nexgen knee replacement patients will need a replacement within 5 years.
Patients who have received a Nexgen knee replacement may require revision surgery. However, this is not without risk and can often be more risky than the primary surgery. Risks include infection loosening of the implant and bone loss.
Symptoms of a knee replacement that requires replacing can include limping, difficulty bearing weight, swelling, or knee instability. If you or someone you know have experienced complications or symptoms similar to this, we encourage you to contact our team for a free, no-obligation consultation today.
Key allegations
Unacceptably high revision rate and replacement of implants
Urgent medical device safety notice issued for these implants
What are the next steps?
If you or someone you know has received one of these affected Nexgen knee implants, the hospital where you received your treatment should contact you with further information. The National Joint Registry has handed hospitals a list of patients affected by this issue. Once contact, all affected patients should receive clinical follow-up and examination.
Have you been impacted?
If you or a loved one has received a Nexgen knee replacement and are suffering with pain, a limited range of motion, swelling, or decreased joint function, please contact our expert team for a free, no-obligation consultation.
Find out if you can claimOur team of experts will support you all the way
Our Group Actions team is led by Christian Beadell and Francesca Paul. They are supported by Sion Wynne, and a dedicated team of talented medical negligence solicitors. The team forms part of a wider medical negligence department, with Peter Rigby at the helm. Our Group Actions team specialises in bringing forward collective clinical negligence claims for defective medical equipment, and have a track record of successfully securing compensation for our clients.

Peter Rigby
Director of Medical Negligence
Peter leads the Medical Negligence Serious Injury department, which now boasts some of our most knowledgeable, dedicated and hardworking team members.
Peter is dedicated to supporting victims of catastrophic medical negligence injuries and endeavours to provide a clear and coherent approach to claims. He recognises the effects serious injuries can have and therefore ensures his customers’ need for support is met. Peter also has a vast amount of experience working with customers who have been injured abroad and is able to act under international law to provide the best outcomes.
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Christian Beadell
Partner, Head of Strategy and Legal Operations
Christian is Head of Medical Negligence at Patient Claim Line and has specialised in clinical negligence claims since qualifying in 1998; having dealt with a wide variety of claims throughout his career. He is also featured in the Legal 500 as a recommended claimant solicitor in the North West.
Christian qualified as a solicitor in 1998, specialising in clinical negligence. From 2010 onward he has had a particular interest in gynaecological and urogynaecological claims, having represented several hundred claimants in the George Rowland Litigation against the Liverpool Women’s and Aintree Hospitals. This investigated the treatment given to women in the Merseyside area over several decades, and in particular focused on the introduction and development of mesh into the UK in both the treatment of stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. The development of this area involved pursuing claims under a unique ADR protocol with the NHS and also looking to develop the current thinking on the valuation of compensation for complex urinary symptoms. He has successfully recovered hundreds of thousands of pounds in compensation on behalf of my clients.
Christian was also involved in setting up and chairing a Claimant Support Group for those involved in the Rowland litigation, which provided a discussion forum for the many women who were left isolated and damaged by negligent gynaecological treatment. He now co-ordinates the firm’s mesh claims and has delivered training and commented extensively on the medico-legal implications of urogynaecological / mesh complications. He is a member of APIL, Liverpool Law Society and Legal 500 recommended.
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Francesca Paul
Associate Solicitor
Francesca Paul is an Associate, Senior Solicitor and Team Leader within the Clinical Negligence Department. She is one of the driving Solicitors in the Group Litigation Team dealing with this niche and specialist area of work that Fletchers undertakes.
Francesca previously worked in Nottingham, dealing with Group Action work. She now works at Fletchers, bringing with her those years of experience heading up a team of 10 people. Francesca is involved in the early identification of potential new Group Litigation Work and analyses information from the collective pool of new enquiries into the business, of which there are hundreds per week looking for hot spots or recurrent issues which might suggest a potential pool of Claimants.
One of the highlights for Francesca and her team is that they have successfully recovered over a million pounds in compensation for clients who have received treatment from a single orthopaedic surgeon who was operating in the Colchester area. Her role requires a specific set of skills, patience and a forensic approach to detail whilst being able to see the wider picture.
Francesca has previously acted for a claimant in a case that reached the Supreme Court in the case of NA v Nottinghamshire County Council.
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Sion Wynne
Senior Solicitor
Sion is a team leader and senior solicitor with many years’ experience in dealing with a wide range of medical specialisms and different types of injuries. He is an experienced medical negligence solicitor and manages a team of lawyers within our department.
Sion joined Fletchers in 2018 as a Team Leader in the Medical Negligence Department. Throughout his 24 year legal career, he has specialised in conducting medical negligence claims on behalf of Claimants, previously working for other highly ranked leading firms in the field.
He has undertaken claims covering the full spectrum of medical specialisms, clinical settings, categories of defendant and types of negligent medical care and treatment.
These include high value and complex maximum severity cases, such as those involving limb amputations and permanent neurological injuries.
Sion is experienced at representing bereaved families at inquests and has a particular interest in fatal accident claims.
Notable Cases
JI v Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Trust: £1.25m recovered for client left paraplegic after spinal anaesthesia.
RS v Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: £150,000 recovered for client in respect of a failure to recognise complications after a kidney transplant, where her father was the donor.
JN v MA: £100,000 recovered for a client who suffered 2 years persistent pain and disability after knee replacement surgery undertaken as a private patient.
CS v Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust: £400,000 recovered for a child who sustained Erb’s palsy during her delivery.
WO’C (Deceased) v Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; £450,000 recovered for the family of the deceased who died as a result of a delay in diagnosing a brain tumour.
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