Never Events List
In this article we explore the never event list for use in the NHS from 2013/14 onwards.
What are never events?
Never events are serious incidents that happen within a healthcare setting. They are defined by the NHS Commissioning Board as: 'serious, largely preventable patient safety incidents that should not occur if the available preventative measures have been implemented by healthcare providers'.
An incident is deemed to be a never event if:
- The incident occurred in the past and is a known source of risk
- The incident would have been prevented if national guidance/safety guidelines had been correctly followed
- The incident can be identified, defined and measured on an ongoing basis
List of never events
There are currently 25 never events that have been identified by NHS England. These are divided into five different categories: surgical, medication events, mental health, general healthcare and maternity.
Surgical
1. Wrong site surgery
2. Wrong implant/prosthesis
3. Retained foreign object post-procedure
Medication Events
4. Wrongly prepared high-risk injectable medication
5. Maladministration of a potassium-containing solution
6. Wrong route administration of chemotherapy
7. Wrong route administration of oral/enteral treatment
8. Intravenous administration of epidural medication
9. Maladministration of insulin
10. Overdose of midazolam during conscious sedation
11. Opioid overdose of an opioid-naïve patient
12. Inappropriate administration of daily oral methotrexate
Mental Health
13. Suicide using non collapsible rails
14. Escape of a transferred prisoner
General Healthcare
15. Falls from unrestricted windows
16. Entrapment in bedrails
17. Transfusion of ABO-incompatible blood components
18. Transplantation of ABO incompatible organs as a result of error
19. Misplaced naso-gastric or oro-gastric tubes
20. Wrong gas administered
21. Failure to monitor and respond to oxygen saturation
22. Air embolism
23. Misidentification of patients
24. Severe scalding of patients
Maternity
25. Maternal death due to post-partum haemorrhage after elective caesarean section
Have you been affected by a never event?
If you or your loved one has been affected by a never event, it is possible that you will be entitled to pursue a claim for compensation.
As stated above, a never event should not happen if the safety guidelines are correctly followed. Therefore when a never event does arise, it suggests that the standard of care provided by medical practitioners fell below an acceptable level. If this causes a patient harm, which could otherwise have been avoided with appropriate care, there will be grounds for a medical negligence compensation claim.
For more information, please get in touch with us today.
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