'Never Events' blunders increased in Manchester hospitals
- 01.08.2018
- EmmaArnold
- Clinical-negligence, Clinical-negligence
Patients at hospitals in Greater Manchester endured 21 NHS blunders in nine months between April 2017 and January 2018.
'Never Events' - medical errors which should never occur - included the wrong body part being operated on and objects being left inside patients such as wires, swabs or bandages and 'specimen retrieval bags'.
Since February this year, there were seven Never Events recorded in Greater Manchester which could have caused the patient 'serious harm or death'.
Nationally, serious incidents also reported were ovaries being removed in error, a lumbar puncture performed on the wrong patients and the wrong toe being removed.
Gill Edwards, Partner and clinical negligence solicitor at Potter Rees Dolan, said:
At Potter Rees Dolan we deal with cases involving serious injury and thankfully most of the Never Events have resulted in low or no harm, but they are on the list because they are potentially fatal. The events include leaving instruments inside a patient after surgery or misplaced tubes.
It is reassuring to note that the incidents are being reported so that Trusts can improve their safety programmes and learn from the events, but I do wonder whether the Trusts are as open about complications when the injury is more severe. In my experience on cases involving medical negligence that has resulted in serious injuries including brain and spinal injury, it has taken months to obtain information from Trusts about the actual events.
The list of Never Events which occurred so far this year can be found here.
Gill Edwards is a Partner and clinical negligence solicitor with Potter Rees Dolan. Should you have any queries about clinical negligence issues, in particular birth injuries, and wish to speak with Gill or any other member of the team please contact us on 0161 237 5888.