Woman's ovary accidentally removed in major NHS blunder

21 October 2023 , 21:02

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Surgeons at work in an operating theatre (Image: Getty Images/Juice Images RF)

Hospital mistakes so serious they should never occur are happening at a rate of one a day.

Victims include a woman whose ovary was mistakenly removed and another patient whose spinal surgery was carried out on the wrong side. They were among 151 terrible blunders known as Never Events in England from April 1 to August 31. There were 80 cases of wrong site surgery and 14 instances of patients being given the wrong implant or ­prosthesis, said NHS England.

Its report also detailed 27 cases of foreign objects such as wires and needles being left inside a patient. University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust recorded eight Never Events during the period – double the number of any other trust. Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: “Thirteen years of Tory government has left the NHS stretched to breaking point, producing a terrifying frequency of these incidents. Tory mismanagement has put staff under mounting pressure, with patients suffering as a result.”

Medical staff care for a patient in an intensive care unit (Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Rachel Power, chief executive of the Patients Association, said: “The number of Never Events remains worryingly high from year to year. They are serious incidents that are entirely preventable because the hospital or clinic has systems in place to prevent them. nThe serious physical and psychological effects can stay with a patient for the rest of their lives.”

NHS England said: “Our staff work exceptionally hard to keep patients safe and thankfully Never Events are extremely rare. When they occur, NHS trusts investigate what has happened and take steps to improve.” The Birmingham trust said: “Patient safety is our priority. Where we do get it wrong, a full investigation is conducted into all Never Events by senior clinicians.”

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Forceps left in patient

Medics sewed up a patient leaving a pair of six-inch metal forceps inside them after a seven-hour abdominal operation. They operated again the next day to take them out after an X-ray confirmed the blunder. Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust apologised for the incident at Redditch’s Alexandra Hospital last November and launched an investigation. Tools should be checked twice before a patient is closed.

Nicola Small