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| NHS 'never events' a disgrace, says Patients Association | NHS 'never events' a disgrace, says Patients Association |
| (1 day later) | |
| More than 1,000 NHS patients in England in the past four years have suffered from medical mistakes so serious they should never happen, according to analysis by the Press Association. | More than 1,000 NHS patients in England in the past four years have suffered from medical mistakes so serious they should never happen, according to analysis by the Press Association. |
| The so-called never events included the case of a man who had a whole testicle removed rather than just a cyst. | The so-called never events included the case of a man who had a whole testicle removed rather than just a cyst. |
| In another, a woman's fallopian tubes were taken out instead of her appendix. | In another, a woman's fallopian tubes were taken out instead of her appendix. |
| NHS England insisted such events were rare, but the Patients Association said they were a "disgrace". | NHS England insisted such events were rare, but the Patients Association said they were a "disgrace". |
| Other "never events" included the wrong legs, eyes or knees being operated on and hundreds of cases of foreign objects such as scalpels being left inside bodies after operations. | Other "never events" included the wrong legs, eyes or knees being operated on and hundreds of cases of foreign objects such as scalpels being left inside bodies after operations. |
| The Press Association analysis also found that patients' lives were put in danger when feeding tubes were put into their lungs instead of their stomachs. | The Press Association analysis also found that patients' lives were put in danger when feeding tubes were put into their lungs instead of their stomachs. |
| Patients were given the wrong type of blood during transfusions and others were given the wrong drugs or doses of drugs. | Patients were given the wrong type of blood during transfusions and others were given the wrong drugs or doses of drugs. |
| The analysis showed there were: | The analysis showed there were: |
| Katherine Murphy, chief executive of the Patients Association, said: "It is a disgrace that such supposed 'never' incidents are still so prevalent. | Katherine Murphy, chief executive of the Patients Association, said: "It is a disgrace that such supposed 'never' incidents are still so prevalent. |
| "How are such basic, avoidable mistakes still happening? There is clearly a lack of learning in the NHS. | "How are such basic, avoidable mistakes still happening? There is clearly a lack of learning in the NHS. |
| "It is especially unforgivable to operate on the wrong organ, and many such mistakes can never be rectified." | "It is especially unforgivable to operate on the wrong organ, and many such mistakes can never be rectified." |
| NHS England insisted never events were rare - affecting one in every 20,000 procedures - and that the majority of the 4.6 million hospital operations each year were safe. | NHS England insisted never events were rare - affecting one in every 20,000 procedures - and that the majority of the 4.6 million hospital operations each year were safe. |
| A spokeswoman said: "One never event is too many and we mustn't underestimate the effect on the patients concerned. | A spokeswoman said: "One never event is too many and we mustn't underestimate the effect on the patients concerned. |
| "To better understand the reasons why, in 2013 we commissioned a taskforce to investigate, leading to a new set of national standards being published last year specifically to support doctors, nurses and hospitals to prevent these mistakes. | "To better understand the reasons why, in 2013 we commissioned a taskforce to investigate, leading to a new set of national standards being published last year specifically to support doctors, nurses and hospitals to prevent these mistakes. |
| "Any organisation that reports a serious incident is also expected to conduct its own investigation so it can learn and take action to prevent similar incidents from being repeated." | "Any organisation that reports a serious incident is also expected to conduct its own investigation so it can learn and take action to prevent similar incidents from being repeated." |