A two-day inquest is due be held next year for a Brighton man who died after surgery at the Royal Sussex County Hospital.
Arthur Brooke Craig, 77, of Brighton Marina, died after an investigative operation at the Royal Sussex in June last year. He had a perforated bowel and sepsis.
Coroner Gareth Jones said that the inquest would look at the cause and treatment of Mr Craig’s perforated bowel which, it was suggested, could have been the main cause of death.
The coroner will also explore other aspects of Mr Craig’s treatment and care under colorectal surgeon Marc Lamah who carried out the operation.
Emma Corkill, for Mr Craig’s family, said that they had questions about wider “systemic” problems at the hospital which were known about.
She told a pre-inquest review: “The family feel that there were similar issues in their father’s death.”
“It’s not one thing that’s happened. It’s a series of things that may have happened and may have gone wrong.”
Emma Kurzner, for University Sussex Hospitals, the NHS trust that runs the Royal Sussex, said that the inquest should focus on how Mr Craig died and not turn into a public inquiry.
The coroner said: “This is a case about the appropriateness of surgery.”
Mr Craig was admitted to the Royal Sussex after going to the A&E (accident and emergency) department on Tuesday 28 May last year.
He had investigative intestinal surgery on Friday 14 June died on Wednesday 26 June.
The pre-inquest review took place at the West Sussex, Brighton and Hove Coroner’s Court, in Horsham.
The inquest is due to resume on a date to be set.
Emma Kurzner, for University Sussex Hospitals, the NHS trust that runs the Royal Sussex, said that the inquest should focus on how Mr Craig died and not turn into a public inquiry.
But it is not her father who died! Plus an Inquiry, if found to be needed, might save other patients’ lives.
There is much wrong with the University Sussex Hospitals. All their shiny new buildings do not conceal patient safety concerns and emerging scandals about the quality of care.
This makes me sick and angry! How are those under investigation for such heinous crimes be allowed to practise within the NHS when they have recently been struck off working Privately? The RSCH need to Suspend those under investigation for public interest and safety. They are allowed to continue to murder and maim, why?
I am also a patient who had my life totally ruined by one of the surgeons under current police investigation. I was in the RSCH recently and while there yet another patient who had a routine op had her bowel nicked, surgeon sent her to a hospice to die! Poor family members, all I could do was give them the info I had at that time. Police are unable to suspend them and have been told it is up to the CEO of the RSCH to do so my MP has written to said CEO of the RSCH regarding concerns. Enough is enough and Justice For All needs to be served.
I couldn’t agree more with the last comment, well done for speaking out.
Similar happened to my dad 25 years ago.
Went into hospital for an overnight check as having pains in his legs . Died a week later after a colonoscopy. Went from chatting to us in his bed to in an induced coma he never came out of. Death certificate said bleeding and Odense
Apparently the Hospital Management have ‘complete confidence’ in the work of said surgeon – it beggars belief after all that’s gone on especially when Mr Pincher of the Tory party was suspended for pinching someone’s bottom …
That’s the Marc Lamah who was dismissed by Nuffield Hospital for not being up to their standards.
After my wife’s poor treatment at RSCH gastro unit, a few years back, I bought private health insurance – not easy on a pension but my family’s health comes first. Recent brilliant treatment at the Nuffield confirms my decision. However, I still have to pay National Insurance.
For balance, my wife had excellent treatment in the Stroke unit at the Sussex for a minor stroke . Once again, you have to question the competence of the management at the Sussex for letting these things happen. What’s their agenda?
The surgeons who are under police investigation following whistleblowing need to be suspended immediately to prevent more needless harm and death. Our family is another dealing day to day with life-changing damage at the hands of RSCH neurosurgery, found wanting by the authorities & carrying on regardless. The local hospitals are unsafe in some areas and this needs urgent action by the new CEO. This Labour government was elected to deal with an NHS that is woeful in places, including Sussex. This has been allowed to fester for years. Where is the Labour MP Chris Ward who has RSCH in his constituency? Don’t be disappointed when the next public votes are in!
How can Ms Kurzner keep defending this Trust, When our Son Died, She was horrible to us as was most of the Executive team aswell, completely refuse to accept any responsibility,
I was recently a patient on the digestive diseases ward at RSCH and the level of care was appalling. I had two serious medication errors less than 10 hours apart. Agency nurses were blamed but it wasn’t their fault it was the fault of permanent staff. Trying to get answers from this hospital is like trying to pull your own teeth out.
They use gaslighting and intimidation to try and silence people. How can they keep doing this and get away with it?
PALS Patient Punishment & Lying Service… their whole role is to ensure patients go over very short time threshold for legal action. Literally designed to fail. i learnt the hard way. No ethics, no systems design, many good clinicians…they cant even run a bus aervice to a hospital, no timetable anywhere, using bus service based in Crawley.
Why would Brighton not want the absolute best for residents and visitors? If private don’t want him then why is it still good enough for the NHS? If the people running the royal sussex are not passionate about having the best staff they can get then we end up here. We need managers who take pride in our area and our services and we need them fast.
The private market has always been better paid. Having someone PAYE within the NHS is cheaper to have, by an order of magnitude, comparatively.
I have recently had a botched abortive colonoscopy which left me with some internal soreness and discomfort for weeks after, affecting my bladder and stomach. I will never have this procedure again and am horrified to read of the poor man who died from the same procedure. The doctor who performed it did not inspire me with confidence and hurt me badly. This was not helped by the fact that I could not have gas and air due to the risk of retinal detachment because of PVD. This was diagnosed in May and not on the system. I could have lost my sight but for the only good member of staff who flagged it up when questioning me! I was so distressed after this experience I felt beyond depressed and traumatised! I am reluctant to have any more procedures with this hospital.
I had a bowel perforation in 2011, but due to a mental health diagnosis of BPD, I was disbelieved , refused an abdominal scan , and they kept trying to send me home for 5 days.they left me to deteriorate and on day 5 I vomited faeces and they finally believed me. I ended up in a coma with septic shock, amd an emergency colostomy. I’ve ended up with severe PTSD from the trauma. The hospital changed my notes and lied saying they knew I had a perforation but it spontaneously healed and then went. Again.. all lies as I did not have a scan until day 5.
A tsunami of assumptions and ignorance. Former medical journalist here AND actually, survivor of perforated bowel and sepsis AT BSUH four years ago.
Trusts, but in particular ‘Private Hospitals” (I’d ban them, by the way) will cover themselves by blaming anyone in the line of fire. People have no idea if this surgeon is really incompetent or a fall guy. Private hospitals mostly have no, or inadequate OTs and if things go wrong, the selfish greedy queue jumper gets shoved in an ambulance and taken to the nearest NHS hospital to be saved.
I am not going to name my surgeon, it isn’t this guy, except to say that two surgeries and two other hospital stays I underwent during Covid saved my life and I was treated extremely well even though I could see the appalling pressure staff at ever level are now under.
Still this is a local newspaper so I guess people will spit out idiotic ‘views’ all the time, critical thinking largely absent. People who have been bereaved after medical procedures will frequently transfer their grief into a Blame Game by the way. I’m not a journo any more, I’m a therapist, now specialising in bereavement. Bereaved people need care and attention but they’re not in the best position to make judgments I’m afraid.
Finally someone here with some logic and wisdom. Yes hospital is understaffed and yes complications do happen. Bowel perforation has high mortality rates regardless who operates on them. I understand the family as they are grieving but to say a surgeon is a murderer when they are likely do be doing all they can to save lifes… I cannot understand that
Just received a text 30/11/25 informing me my cardiac investigation appointment for 13/11/25 has been cancelled. Never received notification of this appointment. This appointment, is, I presume one I should have received every two years to check on me after open heart surgery in 2017.
.Never told about this but learnt about it earlier this year from a heart consultant.
Why the need to cancel so far in advance? I have no faith in the RSCH I’m sorry to say.
Does anyone know why on earth these surgeons haven’t been struck off?