NHS England recently published its annual figures on “Never Events”, reporting that 403 Never Events occurred across the NHS over the last year.

What is an NHS Never Event?

A Never Event is defined as a serious patient safety incident that is considered entirely preventable because guidelines and procedures exist to stop it from happening. While the figures represent a small proportion of the millions of procedures carried out by the NHS each year, each Never Event represents a significant failure in patient safety and, more importantly, a patient whose trust has been profoundly affected.

The latest Never Event data

There were 166 cases involving wrong-site surgery, including 17 incidents where a procedure intended for one patient was performed on another. In one case, a patient had the wrong organ or body part removed.

There were also 121 incidents involving foreign objects being left inside patients following surgery, including surgical gloves, needles and swabs.

For patients, these incidents result in additional surgery, prolonged recovery, ongoing pain and psychological trauma. Even where the physical consequences can be corrected, the emotional impact of discovering that such a preventable error has occurred can be long-lasting.

Importance of transparency of Never Events

At JMW, we represent individuals who have experienced avoidable surgical errors of this nature. We have acted for clients who have undergone surgery at the wrong level of the spine and patients who have had surgical instruments left inside their spine following an operation.

It is important that the NHS continues to be open about Never Events and uses every incident as an opportunity to improve patient safety. A culture of learning and accountability is essential if these preventable errors are to become rarer.

While learning lessons is vital, it should never come at the expense of recognising the impact on the individual. When avoidable mistakes happen, patients deserve clear explanations, honest communication and appropriate support. Where harm has been suffered as a result of the error, they are also entitled to seek legal advice about a claim for damages.

The publication of the annual Never Events figures serves as an important reminder that, although patient safety continues to improve in many areas, there remains work to do. Every Never Event is one too many, and can only be avoided with robust safety systems and putting the patient at the heart of healthcare.