Cases double in NHS trust death and injury investigation

A police investigation into allegations of preventable deaths and accidents at an NHS belief has doubled the variety of circumstances it’s taking a look at, BBC Information can reveal.

The claims centre on care and therapy supplied by College Hospitals Sussex NHS Belief between 2015 and 2021.

Sussex Police began wanting in 2023 into an preliminary 105 circumstances, however BBC File On 4 Investigates has realized that quantity is now greater than 200.

The power says the investigation is “lively and ongoing”, however it is going to “not be offering particular particulars round case numbers at the moment”.

Police turned concerned after two whistleblowers raised allegations of medical negligence at two of the belief’s departments – neurosurgery and basic surgical procedure, together with issues about no less than 40 deaths.

The rise in circumstances is linked to extra households having contacted the police.

Separate to this investigation, we have now spoken to the household of a affected person who allege they have been “lied” to by a senior surgeon within the belief’s basic surgical procedure division, earlier than he carried out an operation that left her with life-threatening accidents.

Wendy Gibbs, 80, had been resulting from be operated on by Marc Lamah to restore a pelvic prolapse at a personal hospital in Brighton, run by Nuffield Well being. However the surgeon instructed her he wished to change the process to a distinct Nuffield hospital as a result of the Brighton website did not have a particular sort of scanner that he would wish. The machine, it turned out, was additionally not obtainable on the second hospital.

Mr Lamah additionally did not speak in confidence to Mrs Gibbs that he, and different surgeons, have been prevented from finishing up such operations in Brighton on the time, as Nuffield Well being had suspended that sort of surgical procedure over security issues.

When Mrs Gibbs’ operation occurred in March 2024, Mr Lamah mistakenly snipped her bowel, inflicting inside bleeding not noticed for hours. Mrs Gibbs developed sepsis, a life-threatening situation.

She wanted an emergency second operation – additionally carried out by Mr Lamah – on the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, which is a part of the NHS belief beneath investigation. This was adopted by a spell in intensive care and 11 days’ sedation.

Mrs Gibbs, who now has a everlasting stoma bag, says she was traumatised by the expertise. “He failed me, he betrayed my belief. I’ve acquired quite a few points left from the operation. Most of my hair fell out. My nails fell off. It is coming again now, however the trauma of it really occurring and never with the ability to do something about it – it is not simple.”

Wendy Gibbs’s case isn’t a part of the police investigation as her therapy occurred after the interval the police are taking a look at.

Nuffield Well being – the non-public healthcare supplier at whose hospital the primary operation passed off – mentioned it was conducting a “deeper investigation into a selected advisor.”

It added: “Because the investigation remains to be reside, we’re unable to remark.”

Nonetheless, a former director of scientific providers at Nuffield’s Brighton hospital – the place Mr Lamah additionally practised privately – mentioned that in 2023, the corporate had recognised issues together with his complication charge.

Michael Turner instructed us knowledge confirmed that one third of Mr Lamah’s sufferers had skilled a “average hurt occasion” (the place, for example, a affected person needed to be transferred to a different hospital or re-admitted) over a 12-month interval. Mr Turner mentioned the determine ought to have been lower than 5%.

Three months in the past, Michael Turner was dismissed by Nuffield Well being for gross misconduct after he used an expletive to explain the actions of a distinct advisor.

Mr Lamah continues to function at Royal Sussex County Hospital. The College Hospitals Sussex NHS Belief instructed us it had audited his NHS knowledge, which confirmed that his outcomes have been throughout the anticipated nationwide vary.

“If there’s any proof of issues relating to the care of our NHS sufferers, then after all we don’t hesitate to behave,” a spokesperson mentioned.

Talking anonymously, a former NHS colleague of Mr Lamah instructed the BBC that the surgeon had been “pulled up on just a few events for issues that have been considerably unprofessional”.

The colleague says that one in all these events associated to an emergency operation, when Mr Lamah introduced he was setting himself a problem to complete in 45 minutes, regardless of there being no want to take action.

We contacted Marc Lamah, however he refused to remark.

The BBC has reported plenty of tales from the College Hospitals Sussex NHS Belief previously two years:

Cops are at the moment figuring out related circumstances and sending them to medical consultants for his or her view as as to whether there’s a foundation to query the care these sufferers acquired – a course of that is anticipated to complete in early 2025. The investigation is at an early stage and there aren’t any suspects at this stage.

The vast majority of circumstances seem to contain the neurosurgery division. Police are contemplating gross negligence manslaughter and company manslaughter fees.

File on 4 Investigates understands that one of many circumstances being examined by medical consultants as a part of the police investigation is that of Stephen Coles. He was operated on by a neurosurgeon named Carl Hardwidge, who spent 31 years working on the belief earlier than leaving in 2023. He has been criticised by the household of Mr Coles, who died in 2021 after being operated on by Mr Hardwidge to take away a mind tumour.

Following the surgical procedure, Mr Coles, who was 66, was unable to swallow resulting from cranial nerve injury. He then spent a number of weeks in hospital the place he ultimately died, after contracting pneumonia from poor care he acquired on a basic ward.

His sister, Julie Rhodes, says Mr Hardwidge has by no means defined to the household why Mr Coles was so ailing after his operation. An inquest didn’t increase any issues in regards to the care Mr Coles acquired, a conclusion that left Ms Rhodes “dissatisfied” because it “did not reply any questions.”

Nonetheless, a neurological skilled who assessed the case for BBC Information mentioned Stephen Coles’ dying had been avoidable, and criticised Mr Hardwidge’s post-operative care. He mentioned Mr Coles ought to have been fitted with a tracheostomy to assist him breathe.

“The duty for shielding the affected person’s airway,” mentioned the skilled, “should lie with the working surgeon.”

File on 4 Investigates is conscious issues have been raised about care Carl Hardwidge supplied to no less than three different sufferers whereas working on the belief.

A decide at an employment tribunal additionally mentioned he was “considerably involved” Mr Hardwidge had, throughout his proof, tried to minimise delays within the care of one other affected person who died in 2012.

When File on 4 Investigates contacted Mr Hardwidge, he refused to remark.

The College Hospitals Sussex NHS belief mentioned that its neurosurgery crew had confronted important challenges since 2012, and that consequently some sufferers have been ready longer for his or her care than they need to have accomplished, “for which we sincerely apologise”.

The belief says it’s cooperating with the police investigation and recognise that it has a lot work to do to enhance their efficiency. In an announcement, the chief govt, George Findlay, mentioned that since a brand new management crew was put in in 2017, many enhancements in high quality and security had adopted.

“Regardless of these and different enhancements,” added Mr Findlay, “it’s clear that some long-standing challenges stay, and additionally it is completely clear that we have now a lot additional to go in bettering care and higher supporting colleagues.”