An NHS surgeon used a Swiss Army knife during an operation after insisting he couldn’t find a sterile scalpel. While the trust said the procedure was an emergency, the surgeon’s actions “should not have been necessary.” Experts reacted with horror to the news, pointing out that a penknife is not sterile and not intended for use in surgery. The surgeon has not been named.
University Hospitals Sussex is undergoing several investigations after the police opened at least 105 cases of alleged medical negligence at the facility. The trust is also under investigation on charges of manslaughter. Four whistleblowers have stated that patients were unnecessarily dying and were being “effectively maimed” at the trust. A former surgeon said that there seemed to be a “gang culture” within the neurosurgery department.
The trust has undertaken numerous internal reviews to improve services. Despite the tragic deaths, Britain’s health watchdog, the Care Quality Commission, stated that there had been no breach of regulations. Health experts commented on the case, saying that these types of operation would usually have a 1% chance of ending in death. After examining the surgeon’s employment record, including a long trial to become a consultant, experts suggested that there might have been issues during his training.
The facility’s CEO, Dr George Findlay, pledged to families of those affected that whenever the standard of care falls short, it will be open and honest and things will be rectified posthaste. The police are cooperatively investigating the trust, and reports confirm that the organization is cooperating fully
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
