AN object left inside a patient and a wrong implant put in during surgery are among four medical so-called 'never events' reported at Morecambe Bay Trust in less than a year.  

Medical negligence solicitors Blackwater Law have obtained data via a Freedom of Information request detailing the types of never events that occurred at University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay between April 1 2023 and December 30 2023.

The NHS defines a never event as a 'serious and largely preventable patient safety' incident. 

In one incident, a surgical swab was left behind in a patient following surgery. Swabs are pieces of gauze which are used to absorb bodily fluids like blood during surgery. 

In another incident, a patient received the wrong implant during their surgery - this is an incident where an implant has been used in the surgery which is not the same as what was outlined in the original surgical plans. Details of the type of implant are not provided, however, it can range from knee replacements to breast implants, said the solicitors.

A patient also received an injection to the wrong part of their body. The details are not given but an injection can be from medication to the wrong part of the body, or local anaesthetic given to the wrong part of the body.

In the final incident, the wrong screws were used on a patient's prosthesis or implant.

In February 2024, NHS England published the number of never events at each trust in the country occurring between April 1 2023 – 31 December 2023. In this period, there were 268 never events recorded across the NHS.

Tabetha Darmon, chief nursing officer at UHMBT, said: "Never events are rare, but if one is identified, there is a national framework and process that we follow to investigate, identify any issues, learn for the future and provide open feedback to our staff, patients and families as part of our commitment to an open safety culture.

“We have clear and robust processes and policies in place to reduce the risk of never events occurring, and to ensure that we provide the safest possible care to all of our patients. Never events are reported to our Trust Board and the relevant regulators. If things go wrong, we tell patients and relatives what happened, apologise and explain what actions will be taken to prevent any recurrence in the future.”