Surgeon used Swiss army knife he uses to cut up lunch on a patient

A surgeon utilized a Swiss service weapon to unfastened up the thorax of a diligent successful cardiac apprehension due to the fact that helium claimed helium could not find a sterile scalpel.

The patient, treated astatine Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton in December 2023, survived, but the BBC has reported that interior documents amusement however colleagues felt the surgeon’s behaviour was ‘questionable’.

The NHS spot that runs the hospital, University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, said the diligent was owed to person an exigency cognition but went into cardiac apprehension earlier going into theatre which meant life-saving attraction was needed.

The trust’s main aesculapian officer, Professor Catherine Urch, said: ‘In December 2023, a diligent owed to person an exigency cognition went into cardiac apprehension earlier going into theatre, and arsenic a effect needed immediate, life-saving care.

‘The patient’s beingness was thankfully saved arsenic a effect of the actions of the surgical team, but everyone progressive has accepted that those actions taken successful the infinitesimal were extracurricular mean procedures, and should not person been necessary.

‘The surgeon progressive reported the incident, and unneurotic with the wider squad they person reviewed what happened, to larn lessons.’

They added: ‘The diligent was afloat informed arsenic portion of our committedness to work of candour, and the squad rapidly made changes arsenic a result, arsenic good arsenic sharing their learning with colleagues astatine diligent information meetings.’

Prof Graeme Poston, an adept witnesser connected objective negligence and a erstwhile advisor surgeon, told the BBC: ‘It surprises maine and appals me. Firstly, a penknife is not sterile. Secondly it is not an operating instrument. And thirdly each the kit [must person been] there.’

It comes arsenic Sussex Police are investigating allegations of aesculapian negligence astatine the spot betwixt 2015 to 2021, relating to neurosurgery and wide country astatine the Brighton hospital.

A Sussex Police spokeswoman said: ‘A fig of cases from wrong the specified NHS departments and during the specified clip play person been assessed and are forming portion of the ongoing investigation.

‘A dedicated squad of specially trained officers are successful interaction with those patients oregon families of patients whose cases are included successful the probe and providing accusation to enactment them portion the probe is ongoing.’

Nisha Sharma, main lawyer astatine Slater and Gordon, who is acting for patients and families successful cases of mediocre standards of attraction astatine the Royal Sussex, said: ‘For months, we person been shocked by ongoing details emerging from the Royal Sussex, but this lawsuit involving the surgeon utilizing his ain penknife is perfectly appalling.

The facts that are being uncovered astir practices astatine this hospital are genuinely shocking to the assemblage – radical surviving in Brighton rely connected the Royal Sussex for their ain attraction and that of their families, and this is yet different crushed for them to beryllium profoundly concerned.’

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