Nine 'never events' recorded at Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust
An NHS report has revealed that 'never events' have occurred at the majority of the region's hospital trusts - with Newcastle seeing among the highest number in England. The serious and preventable medical errors are called 'never events' because they should never happen.
They can include cases where medical instruments or swabs are left inside a patient following a procedure, or where medication is administered via the wrong method.
The latest data has been compiled by NHS England and covers a period from 1 April 2023 to 31 January 2024.
The figures, which are provisional, indicate that nine 'never events' occurred within the Newcastle Upon Tyne NHS Foundation Trust during that time.
The report does not include specific details of the incidents in question.
Three 'never events' were reported by South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and three, also, by York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Provisional 'Never Events' reported 1 April 2023 - 31 Jan 2024 across ITV Tyne Tees region
The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust - 9 events
South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust - 3
York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust - 3
County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust - 1
Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust - 1
Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust - 1
Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust - 1
South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust - 1
Source: NHS England
NHS England says 'never events' are different from other serious incidents because they act as a 'red flag' that an organisation's systems for implementing safety advice or alerts may not be good enough.
It says the process of categorising never events is not about apportioning blame but to learn from what took place.
That sentiment is echoed by the chief executive of the charity Action Against Medical Accidents, Paul Whiteing.
He believes the process of categorising 'never events' is important to flag incidents which can have both a physical and psychological impact on patients.
Mr Whiteing said: "I think it's important for any trust and particularly Newcastle, which has had nine incidents of this nature, to explain why they think this has happened and what they are doing about it so they can reassure local people about it and give them confidence that actually, they are going into a hospital that is safe and they will be looked after well."
In response to the figures, Newcastle Hospitals told ITV Tyne Tees that patient safety is its most important priority.
It continued: "We take these incidents very seriously and are sorry that they have happened.
"We are working hard to encourage and support staff to report all incidents. When we get things wrong, we carry out a full investigation to learn from mistakes, help us improve the quality and safety of clinical care and prevent the risk of recurrence in future.”
South Tees Hospitals responded to its figure, of three never events, by telling ITV Tyne Tees: “The number of ‘Never Events’ occurring within South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is at the lowest level since 2018, which demonstrates the ongoing commitment of all colleagues to provide safe care to our patients.
“The trust is committed to ensuring compassionate engagement with patients, their families and colleagues involved in patient safety events and to ensure that there is meaningful learning and improvement following any patient safety incident."
A spokesperson for York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which also recorded three never events, said: “The chances of a Never Event occurring are very small and as a Trust we take such events very seriously, with an immediate, thorough investigation to determine the causes and how we can prevent a recurrence.
“However, Never Events should be just that, events that never happen and on the rare occasion when something goes wrong, we are committed to being open and honest in declaring incidents which we feel will improve patient safety and enable lessons to be learned. We will involve patients and their families in this process as patient safety is our priority.”
Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...