“I wasn’t informed. I wasn’t tested. I was poisoned!”

I am Tracey O’Neill, and I am calling on the Government to acknowledge, investigate, and take action on behalf of the thousands of people who are suffering the debilitating and life-changing impact of cobalt-poisoning, as a result of receiving cobalt-containing replacement hips on the NHS. This scandal has been swept under the carpet for more than a decade, cobalt hips are still being used and patients who receive them are not given routine follow-up tests to check for cobalt poisoning.

I never imagined that a life-changing hip replacement—something meant to restore mobility and relieve pain—would become the very source of years of unexplained and continued suffering with no visible end in sight. After receiving a cobalt-containing hip implant, I began to experience a range of troubling symptoms that no one could quite explain: persistent joint pain, loss of full mobility, metal taste in my mouth, brain fog, extreme fatigue, heart palpitations and anxiety. Despite repeated visits to doctors and specialists, my concerns were often dismissed or misattributed. It wasn’t until much later that I discovered the root cause: cobalt toxicity from my hip implant.

But my story is not unique. Across the UK, patients are facing the devastating consequences of cobalt toxicity from metal-containing hip implants. Many, like me, were never informed of the risks—neither before nor after surgery. There is a systemic failure at play: patients aren't being warned about toxicity, diagnoses are delayed or missed entirely, follow-up care is inconsistent, and critical transparency is lacking in both the regulatory and medical communities.

Cobalt poisoning is not confined to a particular type of hip and approximately 40% of the 100,000 hip replacements performed annually contain cobalt-chromium components.

My petition is supported by Silver Voices, the campaign organisation for the over 60s, who will send regular campaign updates to signatories on my behalf. 

Signatories to this petition demand that the Government implements: 

• A Government-led National Inquiry into this issue, to investigate past failures and ensure lasting reform
• An immediate national screening programme to test cobalt levels in patients with high-risk implants, and transparent public reporting of cobalt poisoning prevalence
• Specialist support services and dedicated care pathways for affected patients