A HOSPITAL has suspended operations in a specialist field of surgery after a spot inspection by a health watchdog.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) requested the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton halt planned upper gastrointestinal (upper GI) cancer surgeries following an unannounced inspection on August 11.

Those awaiting surgery from the service will be transferred to other hospitals.

CQC network director Deanna Westwood said that if the “urgent” action had not been taken patients could have been exposed to the “risk of unnecessary harm”.

“Following an inspection on Thursday 11 August, CQC has today, taken urgent action to suspend the activity of upper gastrointestinal surgery service at the Royal Sussex County Hospital site part of University of Sussex NHS Foundation Trust,” she said.

“We took this action because we believe if we didn’t, patients using the service may be exposed to the risk of unnecessary harm.

“University of Sussex NHS Foundation Trust has the right to appeal and further information will be published by CQC when we are able to do so.”

A spokesman from University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (UHSFT) said no other surgical procedures, and no other sites, are involved in the suspension and that the number of patients impacted is low, with approximately 30 patients from across the Sussex area receiving such surgery per year at the hospital.

He added that the trust had been in contact with all patients who are directly affected and will continue to stay in touch with them.

Dr George Findlay, chief executive officer at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, said the trust is “committed” to working with the CQC to make the required improvements.

"Everything we do is focused on giving patients the highest standards of care, and we are committed to working with the CQC to take all actions needed to make the required improvements,” he said.

“This affects a small number of patients but is a priority for us to get right, and we are talking with those affected to support them, and to agree alternative arrangements."