A potential corporate manslaughter investigation has been launched after an NHS trust admitted multiple failings in the care of 71-year-old Richard Harris, who died following repeated delays in tumour treatment. The Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, part of University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (UHSussex), has issued an apology to Harris’s family amid growing scrutiny over systemic failures in its neurosurgery department.
Trust Admits Failure to Monitor Tumour That Became Inoperable
An internal review revealed that Harris was “lost to follow-up” after being referred to neurosurgery in 2017. Although a 2019 scan revealed a benign schwannoma tumour requiring regular monitoring and likely surgical intervention, no surgery was arranged, and follow-up scans were repeatedly postponed or cancelled.
Whistleblowers within the hospital had previously raised alarms about high cancellation rates and dangerous failures to follow up with patients—concerns that went unaddressed at the time. Harris only received further attention in early 2023, after emailing his consultant about “red-hot poker pain” that he said was “scaring me to death.”
Police Probe More Than 90 Deaths in Expanding Criminal Investigation
Sussex Police confirmed that Harris’s death is part of a broader investigation, Operation Bramber, examining over 90 deaths in general surgery and neurosurgery between 2015 and 2021. Although Harris died in July 2023, police included his case due to earlier systemic failures.
The criminal investigation is focused on alleged medical negligence and cover-ups, first exposed by whistleblowers Krishna Singh and Mansoor Foroughi—both senior consultants who were later dismissed after raising concerns about unsafe practices and cancelled procedures.
Internal Review Highlights “Missed Opportunities” in Care
The trust’s report found that Harris’s tumour monitoring lapsed due to flawed systems that relied on patients to reschedule missed scans. After Harris mistakenly cancelled a scan in 2020, the hospital failed to take corrective action—even when he returned in 2022 and again in 2023 for unrelated appointments, where his condition was overlooked.
The trust also admitted that even after identifying Harris in a routine review, staff misclassified him as not needing follow-up. His condition was eventually deemed inoperable, and he was discharged to hospice care, where he died shortly after.
Family Slams NHS Trust Over Handling of Tragic Case
Harris’s sister, Jane Harris, condemned the findings, calling the review “pathetic” and accusing the trust of repeatedly “fobbing people off.” She said: “Richard slipped through the net time and time again. The more you read about his case, the more delays you see.”
She added that the dismissive response to her brother’s “humbling” emails was emblematic of the wider culture at the hospital, where systemic neglect went unchecked for years.
Trust Issues Apology But Faces Deepening Crisis
Katie Urch, Chief Medical Officer of UHSussex, extended “heartfelt sympathies and apologies” to Harris’s family and pledged to engage with them directly. However, the trust declined to publicly discuss further details, citing ongoing investigations.
The case adds to mounting pressure on UHSussex, already under criminal investigation and facing accusations of widespread failings that may have contributed to preventable deaths and serious harm.
