The number of operations of the operation that is investigated by the police in a hospital in South England is reportedly more than doubled within a few weeks.
It was previously reported that the Sussex police were investigating the death of about 40 people in the Sussex County Hospital for a period of five years after whistleblowers brought their concern about general surgery and neurosurgery.
But now the 'suspect' deaths have more than doubled between 2015 and 2021 to 90 with the police who needs extra resources from the home office to promote their research into university hospitals Sussex, the Guardian has unveiled.
In particular, the Sussex police investigate allegations of medical negligence and cover-up in the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, part of one of the largest NHS trusts in southeastern England.
In addition to the 90 cases of manslaughter, the Sussex police are investigating more than 100 cases of serious damage that has made nearly 150 statements and 550 reports delivered in their investigation.
In further care for concern, there are only five of the 12 surgeons who are able to perform an emergency operation in the hospital in the specialist register of the General Medical Council – which is required for the position of a consultant.
An ambulance drives along the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton
“If you have one or two surgeons who are not in the register, you can cope with, but having a majority that is not in the register is unheard of because of the required training and expertise,” a source told The Guardian .
According to the newspaper, an unnamed surgeon who is not in the aforementioned register was responsible for a shocking incident in which a medical copy begged and the removed part of a gut was left in a patient who had undergone a hernia operation.
The UHS was rather arranged among the five worst trusts in the country, with the largest number of patients waiting for care for a year and a half and a number of worrying inspection reports.
The Sussex police, however, refused to comment on the number, 90, of cases where they investigate.
“This is an active and ongoing investigation and we will currently not provide specific details about case numbers,” said a spokesperson.
'The medical experts will report on their findings and their evaluation will be considered in addition to information obtained from our police questions to determine whether things will be taken over in the investigation, and or which.
The amount of suspicious deaths investigated by the police has more than doubled to 90
“Those who do not currently meet a criminal threshold will be withdrawn, and this will be communicated directly to patients and families by the research team.”
Katie Urch, Chief Medical Officer of UHS, insisted that the surgeons questions are 'very competent' and 'qualified' to perform an operation.
“Our teams are subject to rigorous research and we actively encourage colleagues to speak and take action if they believe that we can ever do more to protect and care for our patients,” she told The Guardian.
Earlier it was reported that two surgeons at UHS who expressed their concern about medical negligence had lost their jobs as a result of whistle.
Krishna Singh, former clinical director for an operation in the hospital, claimed that he lost his position after he had raised the alarm over several of the dead.
Mr. Singh claimed that cost -saving exercises were being implemented that were coarse unsafe and eventually resulted in complications and patient mortality '.
He further claimed that surgeons had been promoted before they were sufficiently competent and that locums that miss the necessary skills 'were used too much'.
Both whistleblowers claimed that trust did not correctly investigate the dead, which took place between 2015 and 2020, and learn from mistakes.
A report published on 24 May 2024, saw the assessment of the trust lowered with a 'required improvement' rating that was issued for patient safety.
It is said that UHS 'fully cooperates' with the police.
It comes after an investigation has started into baby killing in Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust in 2023.
Dozens of babies died or were left serious injury in pregnancy units in the Queen Medical Center and the Stadsziekenhuis.
Braan parents then stood for a struggle for answers from the hospital from which they accused of the lack of transparency.
Nottingham has accepted that his pregnancy services were unsafe and paid nearly £ 90 million in compensation.
The claims with regard to dozens of deaths, stillborn and 46 cases of babies left brain damaged after errors.
