Operation Bramber and medical negligence at the Royal Sussex County Hospital

In the latest development of a long-running investigation into medical negligence at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, Sussex Police is now considering bringing manslaughter charges in relation to deaths at the NHS Trust. This move has been welcomed by the bereaved families, many of whom signed a joint letter , calling for the executive team of the hospital trust to resign.

Operation Bramber was launched in 2023 by Sussex Police to investigate allegations of clinical negligence between 2015 and 2021. Initially, 40 deaths were being looked into after both a coroner and two consultant surgeons at the hospital, which is part of the University Hospital Sussex NHS Trust, raised concerns. Both the consultant ‘whistle blowers’ highlighted patient safety errors in the general surgery and neurosurgery departments between 2015 and 2020 and alleged the trust failed to properly investigate the deaths and learn from the mistakes made. They subsequently lost their jobs at the trust.

The operation has expanded since its launch and is now believed to include 200 cases, as more relatives have contacted the police with concerns. Sussex Police has now confirmed that potential offences being investigated are manslaughter by gross negligence and corporate manslaughter by gross negligence.

In a statement it said: “Individual cases have started to be reviewed by specialist consultant surgeons, commissioned to provide expert medical opinion. The medical experts will report on their findings and their evaluation will be considered alongside information obtained from our police inquiries to determine whether cases will be taken forward in the investigation, and if so which ones.”

What can you do if you have been impacted by the allegations of medical negligence at the Royal Sussex County Hospital?

This investigation is of course distressing for the family and loved ones of those who have sadly died, who will no doubt be very concerned to hear of these allegations.

It will also be alarming for any patients under the care of the hospital during that time period, who feel they may have had negligent treatment.

It is important to remember that the majority of healthcare is performed safely and that patient safety is a priority. However, sometimes things do go wrong with medical treatment and when this happens many people do not know where to turn for help and answers.

The first step is to make a complaint about the healthcare provided. Under the NHS Constitution all patients have the right to have their complaints investigated. You can write a letter of complaint yourself. It should be addressed to the complaints manager at the hospital.

Making a claim for medical negligence at the Royal Sussex County Hospital

If you believe that you or a loved one has been injured as a result of substandard medical care through the University Hospital Sussex NHS Trust, it’s also a good idea to seek legal advice.

Our South East based clinical negligence lawyers have successfully gained compensation for individuals who experienced medical negligence at the spinal unit of the Royal Sussex County Hospital, with one case settling  for a significant seven figure sum. Our experts continue to act in a number of ongoing medical negligence investigations for patients in the neurosurgical and general surgical units involving treatment between 2015 and 2020 at the Royal Sussex County Hospital. These include cases involving paraplegia following what our independent experts described as out-dated spinal surgery techniques, with other cases involving ‘cauda equina syndrome’ (CES) which causes permanent bladder damage (leading to a need to self-catheterise for life to pass urine), faecal incontinence and leg weakness.

Several of our previous clients have assisted the police with the ongoing investigations and we continue to assist patients who are concerned about the treatment they have received at the spinal unit.

If you have concerns about your treatment at the trust, you may be entitled to financial compensation for your injuries or loss and an experienced clinical negligence lawyer will be able to talk through with you whether this is a viable option in your particular circumstances. It’s usually possible to conduct a claim on a “no win no fee” basis at no upfront cost to yourself.

A good lawyer can act as a key advocate and voice for those who have suffered injury or bereavement, and be instrumental in helping to not only claim any financial compensation they may be due, but also in navigating their way around what can be a complex system, ensuring that their voice is heard and even helping to effect change to processes going forward.

If you have any concerns about the investigation into the alleged medical negligence at the University Hospital Sussex NHS Trust, and any treatment you or a loved one may have had at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, please get in touch with James Cahan in our Clinical Negligence team on 01892 701289 or by emailing james.cahan@ts-p.co.uk.