Hospital boss concedes not all staff feel supported

Lewis Chilcott died while receiving care from the University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust

The chief executive of a hospital trust at the centre of a BBC Newsnight investigation has admitted staff do not always feel able to raise concerns.

In an email, George Findlay conceded that not all staff felt "our culture supports them" to raise concerns.

Four whistle blowers at University Hospitals Sussex told the BBC that patients had died unnecessarily while others were "effectively maimed".

The trust said its main priority is delivering "safe and effective care".

Sussex Police are investigating 105 allegations of alleged medical negligence at the trust.

Leaked documents seen by BBC Newsnight suggest concerns have been raised about the trust's care since 2017.

The whistle blowers complained of a "Mafia-like" management culture.

The trust has previously said data does not reflect allegations of unnecessary death and that there is no evidence of a top-down toxic culture.

In the email sent to staff, Dr Findlay said: "The way our organisation is being described is not something I recognise." But he added: "I cannot claim everything is perfect."

Died on operating table

Simon Chilcott's 22-year-old son, Lewis, died under the trust's care and he has criticised its lack of transparency.

Lewis was admitted to the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath after a seizure and underwent a tracheostomy - a hole inserted in the front of his neck.

The coroner found this led to a catastrophic haemorrhage requiring emergency heart surgery.

"I got a phone call … [and] he said, 'I'm really sorry, but Lewis passed away on the operating table'," Mr Chilcott said.

He added that the trust did not contact him for 10 weeks after his son's death despite promising to do so. It has since apologised.

Mr Chilcott said he was the one who first referred the case to the coroner, not the hospital.

The trust insisted they referred the case for an inquest in the "normal and proper way".

Some surgical staff were banned from speaking to him, which the trust has acknowledged was a single mistake, and the Serious Incident report ran to six drafts, partially due to significant errors and omissions.

Mr Chilcott believed the trust failed in its duty of candour to him after his son's death, saying it is "100 per cent a cover up".

The NHS have a statutory duty be open and transparent when things go wrong with care and treatment

University Hospitals Sussex said: "Our heartfelt sympathies go to Lewis' family and friends for their tragic loss."

'Many more were harmed'

Jane, which is not her real name and has asked to remain anonymous, worked at the trust as a doctor and said patients have died "avoidably" and "negligently".

"Many, many more were harmed, seriously harmed because of competency issues and because of training issues," she said.

She said there were instances of a surgeon operating with mortalities being "four times the level you would expect" or with complication rates which were "very severe".

She said she became "fearful" and did not know what to do.

The Royal Sussex County Hospital is one hospital under the University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust

Andrew, which is not his real name, worked in the trust's surgical department and described it as "authoritarian … with no accountability".

He said patients were "effectively maimed" under its care, with some needing more than one operation, and others being left "psychologically troubled".

"There are those who maybe had the wrong operation, they had complications which were life-changing, life-altering in the sense that life was no longer the same," Andrew said.

Universities Hospitals Sussex said competence concerns are raised through the surgery management chain, and support and supervision is provided.

It added that its mortality and outcomes data does not reflect claims of unnecessary deaths and maiming.

'Paradigm shift'

Neurosurgeon James Akinwunmi won an employment tribunal against the Trust for unfair dismissal in 2017.

In an email at the time to its newly appointed CEO Marianne Griffiths seen by BBC Newsnight, he said the trust was "covering up the death" of a patient.

A University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said its "primary concern" is the "safe and effective care" of its patients.

"This is why a new leadership team was brought into the trust in 2017 and since then has embarked on a 'major programme to recruit more frontline staff'," they said.

They added: "We now have a robust system in place for all staff to raise concerns with the knowledge that they will be heard, and improvements made - their confidence in this system is above the national average".

"The CQC recognised the positive impact of these changes and noted a 'paradigm shift' at the Trust".

"We are proud of our staff and the exceptional work they deliver every day to provide the best possible care for our patients."

The trust also pointed to numerous official reports which they say indicated the situation at the trust had improved.

A spokesperson from Sussex Police said it is investigating the allegations to "determine whether there are any grounds for criminal prosecution".

"From this initial assessment, we have identified a number of cases from within the specified NHS departments and during the specified time period that will form part of our investigation."

"The investigation is at an early stage and this does not necessarily mean this will lead to criminal prosecution.

"We are working closely with partner agencies and the University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust is co-operating fully with our investigation."

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story you can visit BBC Action Line.