Surgeon operated on wrong body part
WRONG body parts being operated on, patient mix-ups and items being left inside people after surgery.
These are just some of the ‘never events’ at hospitals in Greater Manchester in the past three years.
Health watchdogs say the incidents have ‘the potential to cause serious patient harm or death’ - and should be ‘wholly preventable.’
New figures uncovered by the M.E.N. reveal there were 70 such blunders at 11 NHS hospital trusts in the region between January 2014 and July this year. Incidents included: A patient due to have surgery on three of his toes having four operated on by mistake at Salford Royal in May 2016.
A ‘foreign object’ being left inside a patient for four years following surgery at a Pennine Acute facility only for it to be discovered when they had surgery again.
A gallstone removal bag being left inside a patient following an operation at Salford Royal in January 2016.
A young girl becoming trapped in bed rails at the Royal Albert Edward Infirmary, Wigan, in May 2016.
Oral medication being given intravenously in the delivery suite at Stepping Hill Hospital in September 2016.
A patient having botox injected into the stomach instead of the oesophagus at Manchester Royal Infirmary in July 2015.
A man being marked for surgery on the left side of his body, but being operated on the right at Salford Royal in August 2016.
Freedom of Information requests revealed there were numerous cases of swabs and other foreign objects being left inside patients at hospitals.
Such incidents were recorded at MRI, Stepping Hill, St Mary’s Hospital, Salford Royal, North Manchester General Hospital, Royal Albert Edward Infirmary, Wythenshawe Hospital, Tameside Hospital and Royal Bolton.
There were cases at Royal Bolton and Manchester Royal Eye Hospital of incorrect lenses being implanted into people’s eyes. Salford Royal had 13 confirmed ‘never events’ during the period, the highest number in the