A CRISIS-HIT hospital is being investigated for using 'out of date’ human tissue in hip replacement surgery.

Wexham Park Hospital is at the centre of another damaging blunder after 'out of date’ femoral head tissue - the ball part of the hip joint - was found in storage.

It is believed the tissue, used in orthopaedic surgery, had gone off because the hospital was not keeping it at the right temperature while it was in a freezer.

It followed a routine inspection by the human tissue regulator, the Human Tissue Authority (HTA), in February 26 and 27.

The trust launched its own investigation after the visit, which found two patients may have had the out of date bone inserted during operations.

A spokeswoman for Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “An issue related to the storage of femoral head tissue used for orthopaedic surgery came to light in February this year. The trust took immediate steps to rectify the problem and launched an in depth investigation.

“As part of this investigation, it has become apparent that two patients who have had orthopaedic surgery at the trust over the last five years may have been affected. The investigation is in the final stages of completion and we have contacted the two patients concerned.

“Independent advice sought by the trust has established that any potential risk to the patients in question would be negligible. The trust would like to reassure any patients who have undertaken orthopaedic surgery in the last five years that this issue does not affect them.” Initial findings of the trust’s investigation are believed to have been circulated to governors. It allegedly says the hospital did not store the tissue at the right temperature, highlights shoddy medical record keeping and says clinical leadership and management of the process was poor.

A spokeswoman for the HTA said: “The final report is currently being written and will be available to all in the next few weeks. As a result of this inspection, a 'serious event’ was reported to us which we are currently investigating.” The authority aims to 'maintain confidence by ensuring that human tissue is used safely and ethically, and with proper consent’. It was set up in 2004 after the Alder Hey scandal, when some hospitals were found to be removing and storing children’s tissue and organs without consent.