Never Events in Medical Negligence

A Never Event is a serious preventable incident during your medical treatment. The NHS calls it a Never Event because it should not happen but does because someone has not followed official guidance.

Every hospital has NHS guidance on patient care. The protocols cover all aspects of patient care, from surgery to emergency treatment and overnight stays in a ward. A Never Event can happen when the hospital does not implement the guidance fully.

A Never Event is medical negligence. It is the preventable error during surgery, the administration of the wrong medication in hospital, or the fall when a patient is under care. Events which should not happen, but they do, and the patient suffers.

Your No Win No Fee medical negligence solicitor will take your compensation case against those responsible for the Never Event happening during your care.

Examples of common Never Event cases in medical negligence range from surgical errors to mistakes in patient care. 

A Never Event is preventable, yet Never Events happen regularly due to medical professionals not following official guidance.

Examples of common Never Event cases in medical negligence are:

Wrong site surgery, such as removing the wrong leg during an amputation, should never happen. Hospital guidelines have strict procedures to prevent this Never Event and others like it.

Cardiac procedures on the wrong artery or surgery on the wrong eye are Never Events that happen due to medical negligence. Operating on the left instead of the right foot or removing the incorrect fallopian tube are further examples.

In all Never Event surgical errors, the mistake is only noticed after surgery has begun and when protocols have not been followed.

Patient falling from a window that is not properly secured may result in death or severe injury. According to NHS guidelines, every window must be secured and not accessed by patients.

If a patient can open a window and fall out, the hospital’s duty of care is to secure it. A restrictor must be fitted to all windows within reach of any patients.

When a patient falls from an unsecured window, it is seen as a Never Event and a form of medical negligence.

Patients coming to harm in bed, either by getting their head stuck in bedrails or the frame, is another Never Event. Every bedrail must have the correct dimensions, and the mattress must fit the bed thoroughly.

If patients harm themselves by trapping their heads or body in the bedrails or frame, they could choke to death. An unsupervised patient could do a lot of harm.

Never Events like this one apply to all hospital beds, care home or even a home bed if supplied by the NHS.

Administering medication through the wrong route covers those drugs intended for intravenous administration given orally or vice versa.

The Never Event also refers to intravenous cancer drugs given via the intrathecal route and oral medications not administered through the mouth.

Many medications are designed for administration via one route only, and to do otherwise is a Never Event which can harm the patient.

Overdose of medication as a Never Event refers to cancer drugs and insulin being given at too high a dose.

All medications should be administered as prescribed by the doctor. When the nurse or doctor does not follow guidelines or read the dose correctly, an overdose can happen.

A Never Event of a medication overdose may continue for some time before the oversight is spotted.

Transplanting an incompatible organ type will do serious and immediate damage to a patient’s health. If left unnoticed, the death of a patient or permanent damage to internal organs can result.

A patient’s immune system can reject an incompatible organ when it does not match. If this happens, even though the team should be aware of the incompatibilities, it is seen as a Never Event.

Attaching the wrong prosthesis is a Never Event which is easily avoidable but can happen due to medical negligence.

The surgeon and team must identify and list the correct prosthesis before surgery. For a mistake to happen and the wrong knee joint or hip to be inserted is a perfect example of a Never Event.

Similar Never Events cover inserting the wrong implant strength in cataract surgery or contraceptive device during surgery.

Not installing collapsible shower rails in a mental health setting leaves the bathroom suitable for a suicide attempt.

All areas should be proofed to protect those in mental health care. The shower rails should be collapsible and checked regularly.

If a patient attempts to take their own life, the rail should collapse, and it is a Never Event and medical negligence if this does not happen.

Nasogastric and orogastric tube misplacement is when the tube used for feeding or administering medication is inserted incorrectly, but this is not detected before a procedure.

The results can severely harm the patient and even cause death in some unfortunate circumstances. 

A Never Event is preventable, and the correct placement and checking of such tubes would stop the danger to the patient.

Never Events are identified by the NHS to prevent them from happening. They are examples of medical negligence that can happen but would not if the medical professional follows the official guidance.

If you or a loved one is the victim of a Never Event, it can be challenging to know what to do next.

You can claim compensation from over £5,000 to more than £250,000 for Never Event negligence. The amount you claim depends on the damage caused, and there is not one fixed award in any medical negligence claim.

The amount of compensation differs from patient to patient, depending on the circumstances and effects of the Never Event negligence. Never Events can affect someone for life, and compensation claims reflect the patient’s complex needs.

When claiming Never Event negligence, you are looking for compensation for what happened at the hands of a medical professional or in a care setting. The lack of care caused temporary or permanent injury, and you deserve compensation for the suffering.

As in all medical negligence claims, each Never Event negligence case is dealt with on its merits and how much you suffered.

A No Win No Fee medical negligence solicitor will be the only one to advise you on a Never Event negligence claim. They will know from experience what your case may be worth and how to go about a successful claim.

Your No Win No Fee medical negligence solicitor will handle your Never Event negligence claim and get you compensation for all damages incurred.

You have three years to make a claim for Never Event negligence. All medical negligence claims are subject to limitation periods.

For example, in England and Wales, medical negligence claims must generally be brought and court proceedings issued within three years of the injury or three years of knowledge of the facts giving rise to the claim. 

If someone has passed away, it is the date of death if the limitation period has not expired at the date of death. 

Children not under a disability typically have until they reach 21 to start a Never Event negligence claim or court proceedings.

Persons under a disability, who lack capacity, are not subject to any limitation period.