Hundreds Harmed in NHS Never Events Over One Year
Hundreds of patients across England’s National Health Service (NHS) were harmed by serious medical mistakes that should never have happened, according to newly released figures from NHS England.
Data covering the period from April 2025 to March 2026 recorded 403 “never events” — serious patient safety incidents that are considered entirely preventable when proper procedures are followed. The total matches the number reported in the previous year.
Among the incidents, 166 involved surgery being performed on the wrong site, body part, or even the wrong patient. Seventeen patients underwent procedures that had been intended for someone else, while 40 cases involved treatment on the wrong side or area of the body. In one particularly serious case, a patient had an organ or body part removed when it should have been preserved.
Another major category involved medical items being left inside patients after surgery or procedures. A total of 121 incidents fell into this category, including retained guide wires, surgical instruments, needles, swabs, gloves, cotton wool balls, a nasal pack, and a central catheter line.
The figures also showed multiple cases of patients receiving incorrect procedures. Eight patients underwent procedures that were not included in their treatment plans, while four others received entirely wrong procedures. Additional errors included six incorrect incisions, 30 injections administered to the wrong location, 38 nerve blocks performed on the wrong side of the body, and 22 cases involving the removal of the wrong skin lesion or an incorrect biopsy.
Fifty incidents involved the use of the wrong implant or prosthesis. These included errors related to hip replacements, knee implants, eye lenses, and intrauterine contraceptive devices.
Medication and transfusion mistakes were also recorded. Seventeen patients received medication through the wrong route, including 15 cases where medicines intended to be taken orally were administered intravenously. Fourteen patients suffered insulin overdoses, largely due to the use of incorrect syringes, while nine patients received blood transfusions of the wrong blood type.
Other serious incidents included three falls from inadequately restricted windows, two cases of patients being burned or scalded by excessively hot water, and one case in which a patient was connected to an air supply instead of oxygen.
An NHS spokesperson acknowledged the incidents but emphasized that such events remain uncommon. The spokesperson said NHS staff work hard to maintain patient safety and that every trust is required to investigate these incidents thoroughly, learn from them, and implement measures to prevent similar errors from occurring in the future.
While the overall number of never events has not increased compared with the previous year, the data highlights the continuing challenge of eliminating preventable mistakes in healthcare settings.
source: skynews
