22
Dec 2020
Safety watchdog exposes systemic risks to patients as hospital staff say NHS guidance ‘too long to read’
NHS staff have told safety watchdog the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch that rules on how to avoid mistakenly placing a feeding tube into patients’ lungs are “too long to read”.
The watchdog revealed some NHS staff had admitted not having read official guidance on how to avoid the “never event” error as part of a new report which identifies deeper systemic problems that it said left patients at increased risk.
The independent body warned that NHS patients were vulnerable to being harmed or even killed by the error which is continuously happening across NHS hospitals despite safety alerts and warnings over the last 15 years.
The problem of misplaced nasogastric tubes has been an ongoing patient safety error for over 15 years. During this time there have been repeated warnings and alerts to hospitals and doctors, as well as coroners inquests and clinical negligence claims.
Between September 2011 and March 2016, 96 incidents were reported of a misplaced tube. Recent data shows there were 14 incidents between April and September this year.
In a new report, the watchdog said one problem was inconsistent standards and training, and also staff not reading official guidance.
In it’s report, HSIB said “Staff told the investigation they know the guidance is there, but such guidance is too long to read.”
Director of investigations at HSIB and intensive care consultant Dr Stephen Drage, said “NG tubes are used successfully every day to deliver vital fluids and food to patients in hospitals across the country.
“However, just one wrong placement has the potential to cause severe complications and harm. This can be devastating for all involved especially as NG tubes tend to be needed by critically ill and vulnerable patients.”
Chadwick Lawrence’s specialist team of clinical negligence lawyers have years of experience in medical negligence claims, providing support and guidance after life-changing events. Not only do we represent clients in Yorkshire, but because of our reputation we also represent clients nationally.
If you believe that you or a relative may have been injured as a result of clinical/medical negligence, please call for free legal advice from our medical negligence solicitors on the freephone number below.
Posted by Karen Motley, Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.
Freephone : 0800 304 7382
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