Docs operating on the wrong body parts and other blunders that should ‘never’ happen now DAILY occurrence in NHS
Patients facing surgery have enough to worry about without wondering if mistakes will be made by doctors
MEDICAL blunders so serious they should never occur are happening every day in hospitals.
They included one patient who had a camera put up his bottom instead of his throat.
Others had ops on the wrong eye or finger.
One was given a potentially fatal insulin overdose.
And 23 were left with surgical tools or instruments in their bodies.
In the 91 days from January 1 to March 31 this year there were 91 blunders classed by the Department of Health as “never events.”
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In March a patient was cut open only to have the wrong part of their kidney taken out for biopsy.
Another had the wrong area of their thyroid cut out for analysis.
Katherine Murphy, of the Patient's Association, said: “People facing surgery have enough to worry about without the added fear something will go wrong. Trusts must make sure they do not happen again.”
Dr Mike Durkin, NHS national director of patient safety, said such events were extremely rare given millions are treated every year. He added the health service was committed to learning from mistakes.