Exclusive: Hip victims unite against US firm

Pryer's Solicitors has taken up the cases of nearly 60 people, 38 of whom are from North Yorkshire, who say they were fitted with hip replacement products manufactured by United States company DePuy Orthopedics Inc, which were recalled last year after being on the market for seven years following high numbers of complaints and high revision surgery rates.

Nearly 10,000 people were fitted with the replacements nationwide – many of whom were in Yorkshire – with failure rates initially reported of around 12 per cent.

But Richard Starkie, the solicitor investigating the compensation claims for Pryer's, has told the Yorkshire Post he believes the failure rates could be as high as over 50 per cent with as many as 6,000 afflicted.

"We have had quite a few enquiries over the past few weeks, between four and five people every day", he said, "It makes me think there are an awful lot of people who know nothing about this.

"The problem is particularly impacted in North Yorkshire and there is a higher number of people in York that have been fitted with the product than elsewhere."

Now a new support group has been launched in York by one woman who claims to have been fitted with a faulty hip replacement, to urge hundreds of other sufferers across the region to come forward.

Farmer Penny Hodgson, a 49-year-old mother-of-two from Easingwold who is setting up the group, said: "I wasn't aware that there were so many people out there who have been through this.

"I felt very alone at first and thought it was just me who was being incredibly unlucky.

"There have been a lot of people who have been affected by this implant and a high failure rate of people who are my sort of age group.

"Hopefully people will realise there is a strength in numbers and there will be more of us against the manufacturers.

"I suffer from osteoarthritis and was fitted with two hip replacements in 2006, but one of them went completely and I had to have it refitted in 2009.

"I run the farm on my own and it certainly affected my work, walking across the fields to check the cattle or get in and out of my tractor left me in indescribable pain," she said.

"I'm still aware of it now but can lead a normal life."

Other patients demanding compensation have complained of intense pain, swelling and difficulty in walking following hip replacement surgery.

Many claim they are suffering frequent dislocations or excruciating pain resulting from metal-on-metal debris getting into their bloodstream.

Hugh Bayley, the Labour MP for York, has welcomed the new support group and said he is hoping to meet some of the sufferers soon.

A DePuy spokeswoman said yesterday: "Data from the UK National Joint Registry, published in September 2010, showed a five-year revision rate of approximately 12 per cent for the ASR Hip Resurfacing System and approximately 13 per cent for the ASR XL Acetabular System.

"DePuy remains committed to addressing reasonable and customary costs of testing and treatment for reasons related to the recall, including revision surgery if necessary

"We encourage all ASR patients to call the ASR Help Line on 0800 279 4865 or 01908 302195 to have their questions answered and to begin the claims and reimbursement process," the spokeswoman added.

The first meeting of the support group is due to take place at 10.30am on February 12 at the Marriott Hotel in York.