Nuffield Health
Read all reviews for Nuffield Health →
Do not have surgery at Brighton Nuffield Hospital
In Dec 2019 I had surgery at Nuffield Brighton Hospital. After the surgery it became apparent that all had not gone well and I had hematomas. The junior doctor was so concerned that he called the surgeon in on a Saturday to assess my situation. When called in, after a perfunctory look, the surgeon very quickly said that everything was ok. I was at the time very concerned and expected to be returned to surgery to correct the problem. Despite that being the case I was discharged home that day with a 300 mile journey ahead of me. I attended for a post-op assessment in March 2020 and informed the surgeon that I was experiencing a lot of discomfort and numbness. He informed me that it would diminish over time. Due to Covid lockdowns I was not able to return to see the surgeon again until July 2021. At that time I informed Surgeon that my problem persisted. On an cursory 5 minute external examination the surgeons opinion was that it would get better over time. No further investigations were done. I pressed the surgeon about what could be done if the problem had not resolved over time. He point blank informed me he would not re-operate to correct the problem. I gave the issue several years to “get better over time” but it did not. When I requested further investigation in 2024 I was informed I was too late to complain, that is despite raising the issue soon after surgery twice in person, and on at least 3 occasions on the phone. I then sent in an official complaint but was told that complaints need to be issued within 12 months of surgery occurring. I had therefore effectively been placed in an impossible bind, whereby I would have had to complain before I knew the outcome of the post-surgical issue “resolution over time”, which the surgeon said was temporary, just in case it turned out that it was not temporary. In short, because I was informed that recovery would take at least 18 months, and could be years, I could not assess whether or not I was going to need to complain within the Nuffield complaints procedure timescales. Furthermore I think I should have been informed at that time that my recovery time would take me outside the complaint procedures timescales and that any complaint needed to be lodged straight away. Despite trying to go through the Nuffield complaints process they have not replied my escalations. In other words their complaints process is useless. Please beware. My advice to anyone thinking of having surgery at Brighton Nuffield is don’t do it. Nuffield have a pledge of "the very best clinical care, with no limits on your care". Don’t believe a word of it. If you instead decide to risk it, complain straight away about anything that does not go as you thought it would, just in case you needed to complain, otherwise you will be outside the 12 months. My reply to Ben from Nuffield below Thanks Ben for you reply. That was more than I have yet received in reply to my Stage 2 complaint. Unfortunately apologies will not address my problems, which I apprised Nuffield of on multiple occassion in person and on the phone, within 12 months of surgery. You take no responsibility for your mistakes. Shame on you Nor will any apology do anybody any good who comes to Nuffield for surgery in the future. Anyone out there don't use them.