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A man in the United Kingdom discovered that a medical specimen collection bag had been left inside his abdominal cavity after a hernia operation.
The surgeon who performed the operation in 2016 at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton also left part of Tom Hadreas' intestine, which was cut out for removal during the operation.
According to the hospital incident report seen by the BBC, the surgeon only realized the mistake when he was returning home from the hospital.
Sussex County Police are investigating at least 105 cases of alleged medical negligence by surgical teams at Sussex University Hospital, part of the UK Public Health Service.
The NHS said the work of its surgical teams was “continuously and closely monitored” and “whenever results fall below our high standards, action is taken immediately”.
When he returned to the infirmary, still under general anaesthesia, retired engineer Tom Hadreas, 63, remembers being approached by a doctor.
'I was conscious and heard what I imagine was the surgeon whispering in my ear. He said, 'I'm sorry,' and I think he said, 'We made a mistake and I have to take you back to the hospital.' Operating room.' “
Later, Hadreas learned that while driving home after surgery, the doctor was going over the details of the operation in his mind when he realized what he had done wrong.
“He started the car and went back to the hospital,” Hadreas said.
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The same surgeon then performed a second surgery to remove the specimen bag and part of the intestine that had been accidentally left behind during the first operation.
The hospital board deemed it a “never event” — something that should never have happened — and the case was investigated as a serious incident.
The hospital's NHS trust admitted that surgical errors in Hadreas' case had prolonged the patient's recovery beyond what was expected. In 2020, the NHS issued an apology and agreed to pay compensation to the patient of £15,000 (equivalent to approximately R$90,000).
But the surgeon – who the BBC cannot name for legal reasons – has continued to work and continues to work for the NHS. He was later recruited to join a team of experts, despite adverse assessment from some colleagues who did not consider him sufficiently qualified.
“Further questions about the surgeon’s competence” were raised in emails exchanged between senior staff and newly qualified doctors alike, including references to “the apparent increase in mortality rates over the years”.
Katie Urch, Medical Director at Sussex University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, reiterated that the surgical team is committed to providing the best and safest care to patients, often in difficult situations.
She added that due to the complexity of some surgical operations, the element of risk is always present, despite the high professional qualifications of the teams.
“Results are continuously and closely monitored – internally and externally – and when they fall below established standards, immediate action is taken to prevent errors and improve processes,” Orsch said.
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Britain's public health system, the NHS, has faced severe pressure in recent years – exacerbated by a series of factors, such as the Covid-19 pandemic; Tight funding; Labor shortage; And healthcare professionals strike over salary adjustments, which increases the burden on teams and ends up affecting the care that patients receive. Many have waited months and even years to receive life-saving treatment.
The BBC has been investigating issues surrounding patient safety at Sussex University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust for ten months.
In 2023, we received reports that patients had died needlessly, while others had been “certainly mutilated.” It has also been reported that there is a “mafia” management culture.
The hospital chain claims that its top priority is providing “safe and effective care,” that the data does not support accusations of unnecessary deaths, and that there is no evidence of a toxic management culture.
Nearly eight years after a failed hernia operation, Tom Hadreas told the BBC that he was still suffering from the negative impact on his health.
“There's no doubt that I'm struggling,” he says. “It's affected me. My stomach is weak and I can't lift anything heavy.”
