University Hospitals Sussex NHS Trust has apologised to the family of Ken Valder, a 66-year-old former tax inspector who died in November 2022 after waiting 254 days for surgery to remove an oesophageal tumour. The trust admitted errors, failures, and disagreements between surgeons contributed to the delays.
Mr Valder was referred for a gastroscopy in September 2021 after reporting swallowing difficulties. A suspected tumour was identified in October, but an endoscopic ultrasound was delayed until January 2022 due to equipment failures, administrative errors, and public holidays. Further disagreements among doctors about his fitness for surgery led to additional postponements, and he was initially offered palliative radiotherapy instead of the operation he wanted.
In April 2022, his case was reviewed and he was transferred to Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital in London, where surgery took place on 18 May. However, the cancer had already spread, and he died later that year. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) suspended upper gastrointestinal cancer services at the trust in August 2022, citing serious safety and leadership concerns, including poor attendance at multidisciplinary meetings.
An independent review found Mr Valder’s care was “suboptimal” and that earlier surgery “might have led to a better oncological outcome,” but it backed the decision to delay surgery due to concerns about his fitness. His son, Alex Valder, said the review failed to address the family’s complaints, noting that his father was willing to risk surgery rather than face palliative care.
In a letter of apology, trust chief executive Dr George Findlay acknowledged that CQC concerns were relevant to Mr Valder’s care. His widow, Margaret, who died in February 2024 after delays in heart surgery at the same hospital, previously accused the trust of negligence. Trust chief medical officer Prof Katie Urch said: “I send my heartfelt sympathies to Mr Valder’s family and would like to apologise again for the distress caused.”
