BBC News has done us all a great service with some classic
and useful research into ‘never happen’ events, using the powers under the
Freedom of Information Acts to obtain this information.
I’ve taken their raw data and put it into list form for my
new NHS site so you can have a look at your local hospitals. Tomorrow I’ll post
my analysis of some of the worst offenders.
helpmesortoutthenhs.blogspot.com
These aren’t just everyday mistakes – those happen and can be
very serious. These are mistakes that should ‘never’ happen;
Ø Putting
feeding tubes down into the lungs.
Ø Giving the
wrong or no insulin.
Ø Operating
on the wrong thing.
Ø Operating
on the wrong person (no, really).
Ø Letting
patients fall out of windows.
Ø Leaving
foreign objects in peoples bodies after
operations.
And so on – you get the idea. It usually means death and it
should ‘never happen’.
Mind you, one class of incidents is where prisoners in
custody escape from the hospital. It’s not their responsibility, it’s not about
treatment and really – as far as the patient is concerned - it is quite a good
‘outcome’.
Ashford and St. Peter’s had five ‘never happen’ incidents
over the last four years, which is about mid to upper range – not so good.
They were 3 incidents of leaving foreign objects inside
people after operations, 1 wrong site surgery and 1 maladministration of
insulin.
Epsom and St Helier also had five incidents; 4 foreign
objects left inside people post op and one wrongly inserted feeding tube.
Frimley Park had only two; 1 wrong site operation and 1
‘surgical error’.
Heatherwood and Wexham had only three incidents; 2 ‘surgical
error’ and 1 wrong site surgery.
Interestingly, Epsom in financial difficulties had the same
number of incidents as Ashford and St. Peters which has a surplus.
Heatherwood and Wexham is in a bad financial state and has a
better result than either of them. Frimley Park is the best of the bunch.
It’s a crude measure, but if you were treated in that way
you’d feel different about it.
Neil Harris
(a don’t stop till you drop production)
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