An urgent police investigation into hundreds of deaths and surgical injuries at Sussex NHS Trust University Hospitals has doubled in size since 2023, with officers now examining more than 200 cases.
The investigation, known as Operation Bramber, was launched after whistleblowers raised concerns about general surgery and neurosurgery at the trust.
The investigation is into allegations of poor care and practice at the trust, with cases of alleged medical negligence now reaching 200, double the original number identified at the start of the investigation.
Sussex Police took more than 130 statements and produced 550 reports of interviews with people linked to the investigation.
The investigation focused on neurosurgery and general surgery at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton between 2015 and 2021.
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Senior lawyer Nisha Sharma of Slater and Gordon, who is handling the cases within Operation Bramber, said: “This is truly heartbreaking and we just hope they have received the answers they need and that they deserve thanks to this police investigation. »
The investigation focused on neurosurgery and general surgery at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton between 2015 and 2021.
Sharma urged anyone concerned about the care provided by Sussex University Hospitals to come forward.
Among the cases being investigated is that of Lewis Chilcott, 23, from Billingshurst, whose father, Simon, claims errors during treatment led to his son’s death.
Lewis underwent a tracheotomy at the Princess Royal in Haywards Heath before being transferred to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, where he later died.
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Simon Chilcott believes something was wrong within the trust and continues to seek the “truth”, saying he has “no confidence” in the organisation.
Another case under investigation is that of Tony Mardell, a father of two from East Preston near Worthing, who had to wait a year for surgery on his benign brain tumor.
Police are reviewing his care after he reported experiencing constant pain and limited mobility following surgery.
Independent specialist consultant surgeons were used to provide expert medical advice as part of the investigation.
These consultants have now gone through a nationally accepted selection process and are completely independent of University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust.
Sussex Police took more than 130 statements and produced 550 reports from interviews with people linked to the investigation.
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A Sussex Police spokesperson said their findings would be considered alongside other police investigations to determine which cases would be dealt with. For example, cases that do not meet a criminal threshold will be removed from investigation.
“Sussex Police is committed to a thorough and transparent investigation,” the spokesperson said, explaining that due to the complex nature of investigations the process would take a significant amount of time.
Professor Katie Urch, chief medical officer at Sussex University Hospitals, said the trust was “co-operating fully” with the Sussex Police investigation, stressing that patient care remains the trust’s “priority”.
The chief medical officer added that the organization was “continuously working” to improve its services and its patients.