Government reports highlights need to tackle NHS ‘never events’

The government has published a report that highlights its ongoing efforts to tackle the prevalence of "never events" in NHS patient care.

Data for 2011/12 shows that 326 of these events – defined as serious patient safety incidents that should never be allowed to happen – were reported to Strategic Health Authorities during the assessed time frame.

The most common incidents of this type include items being left in the body after operations, surgery on the wrong part of the body and use of incorrect implants or prostheses, areas in which the government feels greater transparency is needed.

As such, the number of categories defined as never events was increased from eight to 25 in 2011, while numerous industry experts are being engaged to devise ways of addressing the matter in new ways.

Health secretary Jeremy Hunt said: "The NHS needs to do more to really tackle these events. The NHS Commissioning Board is now setting up a taskforce to eradicate these never events from NHS surgery."

Other areas in which the Department of Health is trying to improve quality standards include food quality and reduction of mixed sex accommodation breaches.