Concerns Over The Care Of Neurosurgical Patients At Royal Sussex County Hospital

Police are investigating the deaths of 40 patients, as part of a wider investigation into 105 cases of possibly negligent care constituting a crime, at Royal Sussex County Hospital between 2015 and 2021.

The police investigation began after two surgeons, Mansoor Foroughi and Krishna Singh alleged that patients were put at risk at the Brighton hospital between 2018 and 2021.

Foroughi, a consultant neurosurgeon, worked for the trust between 2015 and 2021 and initially raised concerns about 19 deaths and 23 cases of serious patient harm. He claims that his warnings were “ignored and/or deliberately concealed” by a group of senior consultants.

Fouroughi alleges that one colleague was approved to perform complex spinal surgery without adequate training, and another surgeon undertook procedures that led to a “disproportionate” level of deaths.

Singh, a consultant general surgeon, claimed that the trust introduced controversial rota changes for consultant surgeons which reduced the number of “safe” consultants on call, promoted insufficiently competent surgeons, and cost-cutting measures increased complication rates and patient mortality.

The surgeons claim that they told the chief executive and chief medical officer of University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust that patients were dying unnecessarily nearly five years before police became involved in May 2023.

Both Foroughi and Singh were sacked from their positions and are challenging their dismissal in separate employment tribunals.

Sussex police are working with the National Crime Agency to investigate the allegations. The Times reports that police have started informing more families of the 40 patients who died in surgery at the Brighton hospital that their cases are part of their investigation. In addition, 65 cases of patient harm are being considered for possible crimes.

If you have any concerns about your treatment, or the treatment of family members, please contact us to discuss your concerns. Not only are we specialist medical negligence lawyers, our lawyers have relevant previous medical and nursing experience, including in the field of neurosurgery.

If you have been affected please contact our Medical Negligence experts on 0330 822 3451 or request a callback. 

Sources
Gang culture at Sussex neurosurgery department, doctor alleges – BBC News
‘Gang of consultants in cover-up at Sussex hospital’ (thetimes.co.uk)