Claims for surgery errors since 2019 obtained.
The trust that operates Milton Keynes’ city hospital has paid out more than £3.6 million to patients who have claimed for compensation after a surgery error in the last six years.
Figures obtained by law firm Medical Negligence Assist found that many of the claims were for mistakes including foreign objects, such as surgical instruments and cleaning materials, left in the body as well as ‘wrong site surgery’, where patients can be put at a greater risk of infection and additional scarring.
Surgical errors are unexpected mistakes or accidents that occur during procedures, and they are classed as ‘never events’ as they are errors that should not have happened in surgery. They can have significant physical, emotional and financial consequences for patients as they may require additional treatment.
Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust provides a range of services to the growing population of Milton Keynes and the surrounding areas of Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire.
From 2019 to 2024, 46 claims regarding surgical errors were lodged against Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, 42 of which were settled. In 2019/20, 12 claims were made against the trust, the second-highest number of claims over the past five years. A year later, this number increased to 14 claims.
The service has experienced a drop in claims over the past year compared to 2022/23, with a total of six. Over the past five years, the trust has paid out a total of £3,679,557, with the highest amount coming in 2020/21 standing at £1,734,939.
“The chances of a patient suffering a surgical error are remote, yet every operation carries with it a number of risks, and if something goes wrong, there can be lifelong consequences,” said medical negligence solicitor, Gareth Lloyd.
“Although they appear on the surface to be straightforward cases, surgical errors are much more complex than that and can cover a number of situations and outcomes.”
More information: https://www.medicalnegligenceassist.co.uk/surgery-medical-negligence-claims.
