Hospital chopped off six people’s limbs by mistake
The trust confirmed six people had limbs amputated as a mistake over the last three years.
A hospital has admitted to cutting six people’s limbs off by mistake in the past three years.
York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust confirmed six patients had limbs amputated due to medical mistakes over a three year period.
This is the highest number of any NHS trust across the UK.
Four amputations were performed in 2020 and another two were carried out in 2021 at the Yorkshire hospital.
All were results of medical negligence.
But they are not the only trust to have mistakenly carried out the operations.
FOI requests filed by Accident Claims revealed Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust performed two surgeries without needing to.
These types of incidents are referred to as ‘never events’ by the NHS and defined as ‘serious, largely preventable patient safety incidents that should not occur if healthcare providers have implemented existing national guidance or safety recommendations.’
A further five cases of amputations due to medical negligence were confirmed by Medway NHS Foundation Trust in Kent.
One amputation was performed in 2021 at the trust, a further three in 2022 and another in 2023. Nick Banks, Head of Clinical Negligence at JF Law, which owns the Accident Claims brand, says: ‘Losing a limb is life-changing and can be devastating for patients and their families.
‘As well as the obvious emotional impact, injuries can cause a bigger financial impact than many households can bear, particularly in the current cost of living crisis, when many are already struggling to make ends meet.’
Mr Banks also explained the fears some may have about making a claim against the NHS, even where life-altering medical mistakes have taken place.
He added: ‘Whilst some people understandably worry that making a claim will affect frontline care, the reality is that hospitals and GPs are always insured against such claims.
‘As such, any damages owed are paid by the insurers, and do not affect the care other patients are receiving.’
In Nuneaton, three instances were confirmed by The George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust where two amputations took place in 2020 and another in 2023.
Another three were recorded by East Kent Hospitals University Trust, one in 2020, one in 2022 and one in 2023.
Two amputations due to negligence were also confirmed by Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Wiltshire.
One amputation due to negligence was confirmed at each of the following; North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust , The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Multiple NHS Trusts did not confirm specific numbers due to concerns about patient confidentiality but did provide estimated figures. These were:
- Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust – Less than 10 amputations due to medical negligence.
- Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: Less than five
- Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust: Less than five
- Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust: Less than five
- Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust: Less than five
- Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust: Less than five
- Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust: 15 or fewer
- Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust: Less than five
- South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust: Less than five
- Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust: Less than five
- The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust: Less than 10
- University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: Less than five
- University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust: Less than five
- Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust: Between one and five
- Wye Valley NHS Trust: Less than six
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.