Surgeon, Marc Lamah, who was banned from working for Nuffield Health due to patient safety concerns, is still actively operating within the NHS at the University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust.
Nuffield Health Terminates Surgeon’s Privilege
The BBC revealed in January that Mr. Lamah, a private surgeon, had been fired from his position at Brighton’s Nuffield Health hospital while an inquiry into his high rate of problems was underway.
A former employee told the BBC that a third of Mr. Lamah’s patients experienced a “moderate harm event” over a 12-month period, such as needing to be readmitted or moved to another facility, based on internal statistics.
According to the BBC, the figure ought to be 5%.
Following the investigation, Nuffield Health affirmed that Mr Lamah’s practicing credentials had been revoked, highlighting their dedication to patient safety and indicating that his actions did not meet their expected standards for medical practice and governance.
Despite termination, Mr Lamah continues to practice at the NHS Royal Sussex County Hospital
Despite being banned by private healthcare provider Nuffield Health, surgeon Marc Lamah continues to work as a colorectal surgeon at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, part of the University Hospitals Sussex NHS Trust.
The Trust states that its audit of Mr. Lamah’s NHS data shows his outcomes are within national ranges, and that Nuffield’s investigation found “no concerns concerning technical abilities, surgical practice or patient safety.”
This comes as the Trust is concurrently under a large-scale police investigation, “Operation Bramber,” examining over 200 cases of alleged medical negligence, including avoidable harm and cover-ups, within its neurosurgery and general surgery departments between 2015 and 2021.
Patient’s “Five Years of Hell” After Surgery by Controversial NHS Surgeon
Sheryl Hunter, an NHS patient, has shared her challenging experience following a 2019 endometriosis surgery performed by surgeon Marc Lamah. The procedure involved removing and rejoining parts of her intestines.
Days after being discharged, Ms. Hunter experienced a serious complication where the rejoined section of her intestine separated, leading to her emergency re-admission. This issue resulted in internal leakage, a known but severe complication of this type of surgery.
For five years following this initial event, Ms. Hunter suffered from significant pain and ongoing bowel issues, requiring frequent hospital visits. Despite her GP’s attempts to arrange a follow-up with Mr. Lamah, Ms. Hunter states she was unable to secure an appointment.
Patients left with the consequences of Mr Lamah’s Actions
In April 2024, another consultant at a different hospital diagnosed the cause of her prolonged suffering: a 180-degree twist in her small bowel, which had created an internal hernia and twisted the surgical joint.
Ms. Hunter was informed that this issue might have resulted from the intestines being reconnected incorrectly during the initial surgery. Doctors told her that her own actions to manage her symptoms likely prevented a more critical outcome.
Ms. Hunter’s account adds to concerns about Mr. Lamah’s surgical practice, which is under police investigation for alleged medical negligence.
The NHS Trust has identified surgical error as a potential cause for her complications.
Despite former colleagues’ concerns and Ms. Hunter’s plea for Lamah’s banning, he continues to operate at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, causing her to demand his removal.
Chief Medical Officer for the University Hospitals Sussex Responds:
In response to the serious patient concerns, particularly those of Sheryl Hunter, Professor Katie Urch, Chief Medical Officer for the University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, stated that while unable to discuss individual cases publicly, the Trust fully acknowledges the distress complex health issues can cause.
She affirmed that their clinical teams are dedicated to providing the highest standard of care and striving for the best possible outcomes.
Professor Urch emphasized the Trust’s “robust systems,” including the routine involvement of independent experts, to facilitate learning and improvement should there ever be cause to believe more could have been done for a patient.
Frequently asked questions:
What could be deemed negligent?
Your surgery and care should meet certain clinical standards; however, any surgical operation represents an element of risk. Even the most routine procedures involve a patient entrusting their life to a team of doctors. When a surgical procedure goes wrong due to an avoidable surgical error, the effects can have a life-altering impact, both physically and psychologically, on the patient.
Surgical negligence happens when surgeons or other medical professionals make mistakes during your operation, leaving you with avoidable problems or injuries. This can include:
- Performing the wrong operation/operating on the wrong body part
- Leaving foreign objects in the body
- Failing to inform you about the possible risks of surgery or to check your suitability for surgery
- Injecting too much or too little anaesthesia
- Causing avoidable nerve damage or injury to your organs.
Negligent surgical treatment can severely affect a patient’s life, recovery period, and in more serious cases, result in death.
If you have received negligent surgical treatment that has left you in a debilitating condition or unnecessary pain and suffering, you may be eligible to make a clinical negligence claim.
Who can bring about a claim?
The victim of the negligence can bring a claim in their own right. However, it is often sadly the case that the victim is either unable to bring about a claim or has passed.
In such circumstances, a claim can be brought about on their behalf either by an appropriate person or litigation friend if the victim is still with us or by the executor of the estate of a surviving dependant if the victim has passed.
Our specialist team will be able to discuss whether you have the right to bring about a claim, so if you or a loved one has been affected, do not hesitate to contact us.
How do I make a claim?
If you feel that your diagnosis has been delayed, you have been misdiagnosed, or that your treatment has been inappropriate, then you may be entitled to bring a claim.
The team at Oakwood Solicitors will be able to give you free advice on the prospects of your case and whether you would be eligible to make a claim.
How much is my claim worth?
It is often difficult to value clinical negligence claims at their outset, given the complexities involved; however, we will pursue two forms of compensation for you:
- General damages: an award of money for the pain and suffering you have endured as a result of the negligence.
- Special damages: an award of money for all of your out-of-pocket expenses, such as travel expenses, medication costs, loss of earnings, and treatment costs, both past and future. This list is not exhaustive and is very case-specific.
Why should I choose Oakwood Solicitors?
We have a dedicated team of solicitors and paralegals who have many years’ experiences between them in running cases of this nature. They are highly trained to deal with all aspects of clinical negligence.
Oakwood Solicitors Ltd wishes to ensure that clients are not overwhelmed by legal jargon or medical terms that they do not understand and aims to allow the claims procedure to be as transparent as possible.
For some examples of successful cases and claim amounts awarded, read the case studies featured here.
Further information:
A surgeon banned from private practice is working for the NHS.
Oakwood Solicitors – Negligent Surgical Operations and Medical Care.
WHAT TO DO NEXT
If you have experienced surgical negligence from Mr Marc Lama or suffered the impacts from a similar situation. Get in touch today for a no-obligation initial consultation in complete confidence. Choose one of the methods on the right-hand side of this page or call us on 0113 200 9787 to find out how we can help you.
Carol Cook joined Oakwood Solicitors in May 2017 to lead the Medical Negligence Department.
Carol handles a wide range of clinical, cosmetic and dental negligence claims and has years of experi…
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