100 patients die in Wales due to NHS errors

Oct 14 2009

MORE than 100 patients died in the NHS in Wales in six months due to clinical errors or safety incidents, a report said.

The National Patient Safety Agency said there were 26,949 ‘incidents’ reported between October-March, an increase of 9% on the previous six months.

Overall, 68% were reported as causing no harm, 22% as low harm, 8% as moderate harm, 1.4% severe harm, and 0.4% death.

A total of 368 incidents resulted in severe harm and 115 contributed to deaths.

Most common types of incident were patient accidents (36%), access, admission, transfer and discharge (10%) and treatment or procedure (9%).

A patient safety incident is any unintended or unexpected incident leading to harm for patients. It covers adverse events and clinical errors.

The agency works with doctors, nurses, pharmacists and safety experts to identify problems which may need action across the NHS.

In the past six months this included new guidance on oxygen safety, the clinical use of catheters, and how delayed appointments could lead to blindness among patients with glaucoma.

Chief executive Martin Fletcher said: "More reports do not mean more risks to patients. Indeed quite the reverse. This data is sound evidence of an improving reporting culture across the NHS."

Chief Medical Officer for Wales Dr Tony Jewell said: "Every year, thousands of patients receive high quality, safe and effective treatment, but in a modern health system – where increasingly complicated procedures are being undertaken – mistakes can and will still happen.

"It is important that every incident is reported so we can learn from these errors."

Welsh Lib Dem health spokesperson Peter Black said: "It’s very worrying that since the end of 2008 we’ve seen a sharp rise in the number of incidents reported in the NHS in Wales.

"Prior to the end of 2008, the figure had been coming down.

"What is even more disturbing is the high number of patients dying."