4 swabs in me after op

DOCTORS l eft f our swabs inside a patient’s body after surgery.

The victim returned to hospital f or a postoperation X- ray which revealed a foreign body underneath the skin.

The individual, who has not been named, then went into theatre – where four swabs were removed.

It was one of two serious mistakes at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth, Devon, last month.

Phil Hughes, consultant radiologist and medical director f or Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “Mistakes do happen and things do not go as planned.

“We use them as learning opportunities to help us improve our services and make them safer.”