Possible manslaughter being investigated after 90 deaths at Brighton hospital

A recent Guardian article has revealed that the now doubled number of deaths, currently totalling 90, is being investigated as possible manslaughter at Royal Sussex Country NHS hospital in Brighton.

Initially the total number of deaths was 40, but as the alleged number increases, Sussex police have had to ask the Home Office for further resources to deal with the growing inquiry, named Operation Brambler, into University Hospitals Sussex (UHS).

Medical negligence and cover-up allegations are being examined in Royal Sussex County hospital’s general surgery and neurosurgery departments in the timespan between 2015 and 2021.

Concerns are reportedly also growing internally within the trust, regarding surgeons who are still operating at the hospital, regardless of the fact that alleged negligence being investigated by police.

In early February, anaesthetists consulted the trust’s medical director on what should be said to patients asking about the safety of the surgeons tasked with their surgery.

A trust source stated:

“It’s a very valid question. The anaesthetists are in an awkward position of having to anaesthetise the patients before surgery with consultants under suspicion.”

Calls have been made to suspend some surgeons whilst the police investigation is underway. The source continued: “I think the reason they have been allowed to continue, is that the trust does not want to show they have made any mistakes.”

There are currently 90 deaths and over 100 cases of serious harm being investigated, assisted by a team of independent surgeons. One consultant who continues to operate within the trust recently lost practising privileges at a Nuffield private hospital “due to a failure to engage in medical assurance governance processes”.

Inexperience of current surgeons at the hospital is another matter of internal concern, as of the twelve surgeons on the rota for emergency surgery – only five of them are on the General Medical Council’s (GMC) specialist register. In order to be a consultant, it is a requirement to be on the list.

The source said:

“If you have one or two surgeons who are not on the register you can cope, but having a majority not on the register is unheard of because of the level of training and expertise required.”

Highlighting this, an emergency surgeon who is not on the register was in 2016 responsible for a “never event”, where a hernia operation concluded with a medical specimen bag and the removed part of a bowel being left inside a patient.

Completing the picture, UHS has received “a series of damning inspection reports”, was responsible for the biggest number patients waiting one and a half years for care in England, and in January 2025 ranked among England’s five worst trusts.

A source near the investigation said:

“The number of deaths the police are looking at has increased to 90, which is why they are struggling to cope and have asked the Home Office for extra help.”

This figure has not been commented on by Sussex police, and it has not revealed a breakdown regarding how deaths were divided between alleged mistakes in the neurosurgery and general surgery departments.

A Sussex Police spokesperson said:

“This is an active and ongoing investigation and we will not be providing specific details around case numbers at this time.”

“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.

“Those that do not currently meet a criminal threshold will be withdrawn, and this will be communicated to patients and families directly by the investigation team.”

UHS’ chief medical officer, Katie Urch, said:

[the trust’s surgeons were] “highly skilled clinicians who are trained and qualified to perform complex, life-saving procedures every day”.

“Our teams are subject to rigorous scrutiny, and we actively encourage colleagues to speak up and take action if they believe we could ever do more to protect and care for our patients.

“While every treatment and operation carries some level of risk, our teams are dedicated to delivering the safest and highest-quality care. We are committed to being open, listening and continually learning from every experience to keep improving the care we provide.”

Further reading

Hospital negligence – Oakwood Solicitors

Negligent surgical operations and medical care – Oakwood Solicitors

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