A recent news story highlighted the devastating consequences that can arise when serious medical errors occur. According to reports, a surgeon was struck off after incorrectly connecting a patient’s bowel and stomach during surgery, leaving the patient with severe complications and prolonged suffering.
The case attracted widespread attention and has prompted renewed discussion about patient safety, clinical accountability and the safeguards designed to prevent these entirely avoidable incidents, known as Never Events, within healthcare.
What is a Never Event?
The NHS defines a Never Event as a serious patient safety incident that is considered preventable because national safety guidance or recommendations exist to stop it happening.
The term does not mean that the incident occurs frequently (in fact incidents of this nature are rare). Rather, it reflects the fact that robust systems and safeguards should be in place to prevent the error from occurring at all.
Examples of Never Events include:
- Surgery performed on the wrong site or wrong patient
- Surgical instruments, swabs or other items being left inside a patient after surgery
- Patients receiving the wrong implant or prosthesis
- Medication being administered by the wrong route
- Certain serious blood transfusion errors
- Incorrect administration of insulin or other high-risk medications
How Often Do Never Events Occur?
NHS England publishes data on reported Never Events to support learning and improve patient safety.
Provisional NHS England data shows that 403 incidents appeared to meet the definition of a Never Event between April 2025 and March 2026. These incidents are subject to ongoing investigation and review, but the figures provide an indication of the types of errors still occurring across the healthcare system.
The most common categories included:
- Wrong site surgery
- Retained foreign objects following procedures
- Wrong implants or prostheses
- Medication administration errors
Learning Rather Than Blame
The purpose of reporting Never Events is not simply to identify individual mistakes. NHS England’s approach focuses on understanding why an incident occurred and whether improvements can be made to reduce the risk of similar events happening again.
Every reported Never Event should be investigated to identify contributing factors and learning opportunities. This may lead to changes in procedures, additional staff training, revised safety checks or wider organisational improvements.
Why Do Never Events Matter?
Although Never Events represent a small proportion of the millions of treatments carried out by the NHS every year, their impact on patients and families can be significant.
Many patients affected by serious medical errors may require additional treatment, corrective procedures, rehabilitation or ongoing support. Beyond the physical consequences, there can often be lasting emotional and psychological effects.
The publication of Never Event data provides transparency and helps healthcare providers, regulators and patients better understand where risks exist and where further improvements may be needed.
Could a Never Event Lead to a Medical Negligence Claim?
A Never Event does not automatically mean that a medical negligence claim will succeed. However, where a patient has suffered avoidable harm as a result of an error that should not have occurred, there may be grounds for further investigation.
To bring a successful medical negligence claim, it must usually be shown that the standard of care fell below what would reasonably be expected of a healthcare professional and that this breach of duty directly caused avoidable injury or harm.
Each case must be assessed on its own facts and usually requires a detailed review of the medical records together with independent expert evidence.
What Can Compensation Help With?
For many people, pursuing a medical negligence claim is about much more than financial compensation. It can provide answers about what happened, help establish accountability and encourage improvements that may reduce the risk of similar incidents affecting others in the future.
Where negligence has caused avoidable harm, compensation can also provide practical financial support to help people move forward with their lives. Depending on the circumstances, it may assist with the cost of further medical treatment, rehabilitation, specialist therapies, care and assistance, mobility aids, home adaptations, lost earnings and other expenses arising from the injury.
Every case is unique, which is why obtaining specialist legal advice at an early stage can help you understand your options and whether you may have grounds to pursue a claim.
How We Can Help
At Bridge McFarland, our experienced Medical Negligence team understands the physical, emotional and financial impact that avoidable medical errors can have on patients and their families.
We know that making a claim can feel daunting, particularly while you are recovering or supporting a loved one. That’s why we take the time to listen to your concerns, explain your legal options in clear, straightforward language and guide you through every stage of the process with compassion and sensitivity.
If you believe you or someone close to you has suffered avoidable harm as a result of medical treatment, we’re here to help you understand whether you may have a claim. We offer a free, no-obligation initial consultation to discuss your circumstances and provide honest, practical advice tailored to your situation.
To speak to a member of our Clinical Negligence team, call 0800 987 8800, complete our free online enquiry form, or email enquiries@bmcf.co.uk.
