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UK among top six developed countries for retained surgical instrument errors (4 August 2015)

Date: 04/08/2015
Duncan Lewis, Clinical Negligence Solicitors, UK among top six developed countries for retained surgical instrument errors

A report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has revealed that hospitals in the UK are among the worst in the Western world for leaving surgical instruments inside patients after surgery.

The Daily Mail reports that the UK has the sixth worst record among industrialised nations for retained instruments and surgeons leaving foreign bodies, such as clips and swabs, inside patients following procedures.

In Britain, there is an average of 5.5 cases per 100,000 people discharged from hospital who later find they have a retained surgical instrument.

The rate is three times that of Poland – with 1.9 cases per 100,000 patients – and twice that of Slovenia, with 2.9 cases per 100,000 patients.

Patients have later been found to have swabs, dressings and parts of hypodermic needles inside them – potentially risking deadly infections such as sepsis and other complications such as organ failure or internal bleeding if an instrument pierces a major organ.

Some patients endure months – or even years – of pain or discomfort before an X-ray or scan reveals a retained surgical instrument is causing the problem.

The NHS classifies retained surgical instruments as “never events” because a system of checks before a patient’s surgical wound is closed should prevent retained instruments and items like swabs being left inside the body.

However, there were 102 cases of retained surgical instruments in England in 2014- 2015.

The figures in a comparison of 16 OECD countries show that Belgium records the fewest cases – with 0.5 per 100,000 hospital discharges – while Switzerland has the highest number, with 11.6 cases per 100,000.

Co-director of pressure group Patient Concern, Joyce Robins, said more regulation was needed to protect patients from the risks of retained surgical instruments:
“It should be made a legal requirement that the checklist of instruments be read out loud and ticked off at the end of each surgical procedure,” she said.
“It should not be a matter of pot luck whether some instrument is left inside the patient.”

Many cases of retained surgical instruments result from a lack of communication between theatre staff when post-surgery checks are made.

Each instrument or item used during surgery has to be accounted for in theatre checks.

Chief executive of the Patients Association, Katherine Murphy, said:

“The NHS is recognised around the world as an unrivalled health service –
but its clinical performance is achieved against day-in day-out pressure on its staff.”

Duncan Lewis Clinical Negligence Solicitors - No win no fee Surgical Negligence Claims

Duncan Lewis clinical negligence solicitors can advise those who suffer injury as a result of surgical negligence on how to make a no win no fee claim for compensation, including claims relating to:

• Anaesthetic errors
• Birth injury
• Brain injury
• Failings in pre-surgery and post-surgery checks
• Nerve damage
• Organ damage
• Oxygen errors
• Retained surgical instruments
• Wrong surgery.

Clinical negligence claims usually have to be made within three years of injury or diagnosis of injury – children can make surgical negligence claims up to the age of 21.

For expert legal advice on no win no fee Surgical Negligence Claims, call Duncan Lewis clinical negligence solicitors on 020 7923 4020.


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