Cases double in NHS trust death and injury investigation

A police investigation into allegations of preventable deaths and injuries at an NHS trust has doubled the number of cases it is looking at, BBC News can reveal.

The claims centre on care and treatment provided by University Hospitals Sussex NHS Trust between 2015 and 2021.

Sussex Police started looking in 2023 into an initial 105 cases, but BBC File On 4 Investigates has learned that number is now more than 200.

The force says the investigation is "active and ongoing", but it will "not be providing specific details around case numbers at this time".

Police became involved after two whistleblowers raised allegations of medical negligence at two of the trust's departments - neurosurgery and general surgery, including concerns about at least 40 deaths.

The increase in cases is linked to more families having contacted the police.

Separate to this investigation, the BBC have spoken to the family of a patient who allege they were "lied" to by a senior surgeon in the trust's general surgery department, before he carried out an operation that left her with life-threatening injuries.

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Source: BBC News, 7 January 2025