Thousands of NHS patients suffer ‘botched’ surgery including having the wrong organs removed

Thousands of NHS patients have suffered from having botched procedures, including medical equipment being left inside during surgery and having the wrong organs removed.

An analysis of health service data found that between the years 2015 and 2023, 3,684 life-threatening errors by doctors were recorded, the most common and serious, known as ‘never events’ involving over 1,500 operations which were carried out on the wrong part of the body.

A never event is defined as a serious incident that was wholly preventable if the safety procedures that are in place had been followed correctly.

The Patients Association says these mistakes “cause serious physical and psychological effects that can stay with a patient for the rest of their lives”.

Referring to the released data, the Royal College of Surgeons described the number of preventable mistakes in surgery as ‘unacceptable’, adding “Learning from mistakes and using best practice and guidance to avoid such errors should be the priority of every medical and surgical team across the country.”

Chadwick Lawrence’s Legal 500 recommended West Yorkshire medical negligence solicitors, have over 20 years of experience and specialist expertise in medical negligence investigations and claims, supporting injured clients and their families through the legal process and helping them obtain answers, justice and compensation after life-changing events.  We have offices in Huddersfield, Wakefield, Halifax, Leeds, Bradford and Morley and represent clients locally and nationally.

If you or a relative have been injured as a result of clinical/medical negligence, please call for free legal advice from our medical negligence lawyers on the freephone number below or e-mail us.

Posted by Karen Motley, Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (jacquelinevance@chadlaw.co.uk), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

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