Father-of-Two’s Health Deteriorates Amid Surgery Delays

A father of two has recounted his transformation from a sociable businessman to “a shell of a person,” as a hospital trust faces an investigation concerning his care. Tony Mardell, from East Preston in West Sussex, stated he has endured constant pain and experienced “virtually no interaction with the outside world” after waiting over a year for an operation to remove a benign brain tumour. The treatment provided by University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (UHSussex) to Mr. Mardell and other patients is currently under investigation by Sussex Police as part of Operation Bramber. The trust affirmed its cooperation with the police. Mr. Mardell, aged 63, indicated his current reliance on his wife Sandra, their two children, aged 16 and 21, and a team of carers. “I am trapped in my chair every day,” he said. “My quality of life is so poor that I believe without my family and friends, I couldn’t continue with life. I’m constantly in pain and have very limited mobility.” According to Slater and Gordon Lawyers, when an MRI scan detected a meningioma in September 2020, Mr. Mardell was assured “it should cause no symptoms.” By May 2021, after eight months of progressively severe headaches and seizures, medical professionals determined that surgery was necessary for him. The procedure was initially scheduled for August 2021 but was subsequently postponed three times until “he had a life-threatening seizure,” as reported by the legal firm, which also acts on behalf of other patients participating in Operation Bramber. Since then, Mr. Mardell has undergone multiple surgical procedures and now experiences permanent issues with mobility. Mr. Mardell stated, “I used to be a very sociable person, I enjoyed playing tennis and ran a successful business, but now I have virtually no interaction with the outside world. Because adaptations haven’t yet been made to our house, I haven’t had a shower in over a year. I feel like a shell of a person and we receive no support. I have worked all my life, but now our savings are almost wiped out as we try to survive after what has happened.” Prof. Katie Urch, chief medical officer at UHSussex, commented: “We support the work of Sussex Police, and we are cooperating fully as they progress their enquiries.” She further stated: “We are unable to comment on cases included in an ongoing police investigation, but of course we understand just how difficult this has been for everyone involved, and how difficult it continues to be.”