A leading medical negligence expert has described as ‘deeply worrying’ the news that five ‘never events’ occurred at a single NHS Trust in North Lincolnshire in five months this year.

The Trust, which runs Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby, Scunthorpe General Hospital, and Goole and District Hospital, reported the incidents between April and August this year. The errors included:

• Two patients receiving the wrong implant or prosthesis
• A patient being given an insulin overdose
• A case of wrong-site surgery
• A further serious, preventable incident classed as a never event

Under NHS England’s definition, never events are serious mistakes that are entirely preventable when proper procedures are in place. They represent the most severe type of patient safety incident - things that should not happen under any circumstances.

“Deeply worrying statistics that point to serious safety failures”

Grimsby-based Chris Gresswell-Green , a Director with Switalskis, was reacting to reports that five serious errors, including two patients receiving the wrong implants or prosthesis, a patient being given an insulin overdose and a further incident of so-called ‘wrong site’ surgery, were recorded between April and August this year at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust.

All five cases are classed as ‘never events’ by NHS England, which refers to serious and preventable patient safety incidents which should never occur.

Never events can include wrong site surgery, where an operation or procedure is carried out on the wrong side of the body or the wrong body part, as well as surgical items left within a patient’s body and incorrect implants.

Commenting on the news regarding Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust, which operates Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby, Scunthorpe General Hospital, and Goole and District Hospital, Chris Gresswell-Green said: “These are deeply worrying statistics. By its very nature, a never event should never occur but here we have five never events in five months at one single Trust.

“The unavoidable conclusion is that there have been very serious failures in patient safety at the Trust – not just once but five times in a very short period. That’s very, very concerning indeed and it shows that improvements need to be made at the Trust very quickly indeed.

“We have to remember that for each of these five never events, there were five patients suffering serious harm from an incident that was entirely preventable and which, in the NHS’ own words, should never happen. That is simply unacceptable and the Trust now has to take all possible steps to ensure no further never events occur at any stage.”

It is not known at which of the Trust’s three hospitals - Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby, Scunthorpe General Hospital, and Goole and District Hospital – the incidents occurred but Chris added: “All of these incidents will have had a serious impact on each patient’s life, potentially for the longer term. An incorrect implant or prosthesis will have caused each person pain, reduced mobility and meant they needed further, revision surgery.

“None of these five patients should have been subjected to these deeply distressing incidents and consequences. Lessons must be learned urgently from these incidents, not just at the three hospitals and the Trust concerned but across the NHS as a whole.”

What is a “never event”?

A never event is a serious medical incident that is entirely preventable and should not occur when the correct safety procedures are followed. NHS England uses this term for the most severe patient safety failings - incidents that carry a high risk of serious harm and for which clear national guidance already exists.

Examples of never events include:

• Surgery on the wrong part of the body
• The wrong implant or prosthesis being used
• Items left inside a patient after surgery
• Serious medication errors, such as overdoses
• Misplaced feeding tubes

These incidents are called “never events” because, with the right checks, training and systems in place, they should never happen. When they do occur, they often cause significant physical and emotional harm and trigger a mandatory investigation to understand what went wrong and how to stop it happening again.

How Switalskis can support patients affected by never events

Experiencing a never event can be traumatic, confusing and life-altering. Patients and families often need clear guidance, answers, and support.

Our specialist medical negligence team has extensive experience supporting people affected by avoidable medical errors and surgery negligence claims . We can help you understand what happened, navigate investigations, and explore whether you may have a claim.

If you or a loved one has been affected by a never event or another serious patient safety failure, you can speak confidentially with one of our solicitors.

Get in touch with our specialist team  to discuss your experience in confidence.  Call us on 0800 1380 458 or email help@switalskis.com.