Safeguarding Standards of Care Amidst the NHS Bone Cement Saga
26th February 2026
Last week saw a significant disruption to the supply of medical bone cement, which has placed NHS orthopaedic services across England under considerable clinical (and potentially, legal) challenges.
Heraeus Medical, a German firm that supplies approximately 75% of the bone cement used by the NHS, was temporarily forced to halt production following a fault in a packaging machine at its main site.
Whilst bone cement production has since restarted, national guidance was issued by NHS England to alleviate concerns regarding procedures that require the cement at both waiting list and emergency level. At the time of that guidance, the NHS estimated that only around two weeks’ supply remained, creating a potential gap of six to eight weeks while Heraeus Medical addressed its supply issues.
Bone cement is a critical component in many hip and knee replacements, as well as certain revision and infection-management procedures. With Heraeus Medical indicating that supply limitations are expected to last for up to two months, the NHS’s immediate response was to prioritise urgent cases and patients in the greatest clinical need. However, further developments have since emerged, and NHS Supply Chain has confirmed that two clinically assured alternative products have now been secured in an effort to avoid disruption to both waiting list and emergency care provision to patients.
Short-Term Solutions
Without suitable alternative arrangements, the shortage would have inevitably raised difficult questions about delay and decision-making for patient care in upcoming weeks, particularly as the NHS remains responsible for the care delivered to patients and owes every patient a duty to exercise reasonable skill and care in the provision of treatment.
In addition to managing the remaining Heraeus Medical stock, the NHS has now sourced alternative bone cement from Zimmer Biomet and Johnson & Johnson. The products from the respective suppliers have been described as “clinically assured” and are intended to maintain continuity of care at both a waiting list and emergency level.
Sourcing alternative bone cement could materially reduce short-term risk for the NHS, but clinical negligence concerns may still arise if avoidable harm results from unreasonable delay or unjustified planning decisions, despite the NHS’s proactive response to the unexpected supply disruption.
Looking Ahead
For a patient, the experience of delay can be deeply distressing, particularly where pain and reduced mobility are already part of daily life and months of waiting for appropriate surgery have already been endured. When multiplying that experience across the tens of thousands of patients awaiting hip and knee replacements on NHS waiting lists alone, clear communication, appropriate monitoring and careful risk assessment remain imperative in ensuring that required standards of care continue to be met.
It is hoped that the securing of alternative bone cement should significantly reduce the possibility of what could have been widespread postponements, but what remains to be seen is how the NHS will manage distribution of the new bone cement stock to mitigate the possibility of avoidable harm to patients.
Where concerns arise that treatment has been unreasonably delayed or that harm has resulted from substandard management during this period, legal advice may be appropriate. Contact our team of specialist Medical Negligence Lawyers today to see how we can help.
Article written by Mason Hallam, Trainee Solicitor in our Medical Negligence team