The BBC has reported on the case of a surgeon at Royal Sussex Hospital in Brighton who performed an operation using a Swiss Army penknife.

The surgeon in question has not been identified but it has been reported that he states he was unable to find a scalpel and so improvised by using the pen knife which he normally used to slice up his fruit at lunchtime.

This is the latest in a series of concerns raised by whistleblowers and former doctors at University Hospitals Sussex. A number of patients are known to have lost their lives, and the circumstances leading up to the deaths is the subject of police enquiries. Claims have been made that other patients were “maimed” due to competency issues amongst clinicians.

This follows the case of a spinal surgeon at Salford Royal Hospital called Mr John Williamson. A report by the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, which is now in charge of Salford Hospital, established that Mr Williamson conducted surgery to a sub-standard level, failed to keep proper records, didn’t plan surgery properly, and also didn’t properly obtain consent from his patient.

The same report identified patients, who had subsequently passed away, who suffered severe harm at the hands of Mr Williamson, and many others who were harmed to a lesser extent.

Medical Negligence Claims

In the medical negligence department at Farleys, we frequently receive instructions from clients who have been the victims of consultants who have breached their duty to the patient. As with the victims of Mr Williamson, patients are often unaware of the negligent treatment they have suffered until many years later such as when the consultant’s employer conducts an internal investigation and identifies failings in care.

The NHS also has a duty of candour – that is, an obligation to tell patients when the treatment they have received has fallen below the standard they ought to have received. In such circumstances, patients ought to seek legal advice as their rights to pursue a case for medical negligence.

Our team has many years of experience of acting for clients who have suffered negligent medical treatment. We act on a no win no fee basis and have secured millions of pounds in damages for clients, to compensate them for the past and future losses they will suffer as a result of the life changing consequences of negligent doctors.

We would always advise anyone who thinks they have experienced medical negligence to seek legal advice at the earliest opportunity as there are strict time limits to making a claim for compensation. For a free consultation to discuss your claim, please call the team at Farleys on 0845 287 0939, get in touch by email, or use the online chat below.