If you believe that surgeons, nurses, and anaesthetists have made mistakes in your treatment, you could be entitled to make a compensation claim.
Operating on or treating the wrong part of the body is known as a ‘never event’ in the NHS as it should never have occurred under any circumstance. However mistakes do happen and between April 2021 – February 2022, 171 patients received treatment to the wrong part of the body.
Some of these ‘wrong site’ mistakes included:
- Removing the wrong organ i.e. a healthy organ
- Removing an organ, when the plan was to conserve them eg. ovaries
- Injected the wrong area or site
- Injecting the wrong site block (to the wrong part of the body) i.e. a nerve block in which an anaesthetic and/or anti-inflammatory injection is used on or near nerve or group of nerves to treat pain and inflammation.
- Operating on the wrong side of the body or wrong organ
- Removing the wrong skin lesion
- Taking biopsies from the wrong part of the body
- Receiving the wrong treatment (i.e. undergoing an unnecessary procedure)
Compensation for the medical errors could help support you:
- Obtain the correct medical treatment, including the option for private medical care
- Recover travel expenses
- Recover lost income or earnings
- Obtain rehabilitation
- Obtain psychological support for trauma, anxiety and other issues
Contact our experienced surgical mistakes solicitors today to discuss your case. Our experts could help you obtain compensation for receiving the wrong treatment or unnecessary treatment, or for treatment / surgery performed on the wrong side / part of your body.
We provide a free no-obligation case evaluation as well as a ‘No Win No Fee’ agreement, so there are no upfront costs to start your claim and nothing to pay if your case is not successful*. To start your free case evaluation, contact our surgical negligence experts today on 0333 900 8787, email admin@devonshiresclaims.co.uk or complete our online form.
Risks and Complications of ‘Wrong-Site’ Medical Mistakes
Unfortunately, in wrong-site surgery cases, the implications on a patient’s wellbeing could be far-reaching.
The potential risks and complications include:
- The need for further surgery or treatment to correct the mistakes and to carry out the correct procedure
- Recovery from further surgery and the subsequent potential complications of a hospital stay
- Health implications of losing healthy organs / tissues or losing the function of previously healthy organs or tissues
- Psychological harm
- Potential Death
NHS Statistics: The Most Commonly ‘Wrong-Site’ Procedures Reported in Patients (April 2021 – February 2022)
The NHS recorded 407 Never events between April 2021 – February 2022, with 171 of these mistakes relating to the wrong site / part of the body being operated on or treated.
The list below provides a breakdown of these 171 errors.
| Wrong site surgery | 171 |
| Angiogram intended for another patient | 1 |
| Biopsy from wrong breast | 1 |
| Biopsy of mediastinal mass rather than pleura | 1 |
| Biopsy of wrong lobe of lung | 1 |
| Bone marrow biopsy intended for another patient | 1 |
| Botox injection to wrong area of mouth | 1 |
| Cervical biopsies taken instead of colon | 1 |
| Colposcopy intended for another patient | 1 |
| Embolisation to the wrong area of the kidney | 1 |
| Excision of skin tags rather than removal of cyst | 1 |
| Excision of vaginal tissue instead of anal tissue | 1 |
| Eye injection that was not required | 1 |
| Flexible sigmoidoscopy intended for another patient | 2 |
| Gastric dilatation intended for another patient | 1 |
| Gastroscopy intended for another patient | 2 |
| Haemorrhoids removed rather than repair of anal fistula | 1 |
| Incision to wrong area of buttock | 1 |
| Incision to wrong aspect of ankle | 1 |
| Incision to wrong finger | 3 |
| Incision to wrong part of leg | 1 |
| Incision to wrong side of head | 1 |
| Incision to wrong toe | 1 |
| Injection to foot rather than ankle | 1 |
| Injection to foot rather than hip | 1 |
| Injection to wrist rather than thumb | 1 |
| Injection to wrong area of hip | 1 |
| Injection to wrong breast | 2 |
| Injection to wrong eye | 6 |
| Injection to wrong finger joint | 2 |
| Injection to wrong finger/s | 4 |
| Injection to wrong shoulder | 1 |
| Injection to wrong toe joint | 1 |
| Injections to lumbar spine rather than neck | 1 |
| Insertion of radioactive plaque to the wrong area of the eye | 1 |
| Knee aspiration intended for another patient | 1 |
| Lumbar puncture rather than fluid drainage from lung | 1 |
| Nerve root block intended for another patient | 1 |
| Not described | 3 |
| Position of laser eye surgery not the intended procedure | 1 |
| Rectal drain intended for another patient | 1 |
| Release of elbow nerve rather than muscle | 1 |
| Removal of ovaries when surgical plan was to conserve them | 1 |
| Resection of wrong eye muscle during squint surgery | 1 |
| Toe procedure intended for another patient | 1 |
| Unknown | 1 |
| Unnecessary procedure | 2 |
| Wound debridement intended for another patient | 1 |
| Wrong aspect of knee | 1 |
| Wrong aspect of knee biopsied | 1 |
| Wrong ear | 1 |
| Wrong eye | 1 |
| Wrong finger | 1 |
| Wrong hand | 1 |
| Wrong labial cyst removed | 1 |
| Wrong lung decompressed | 1 |
| Wrong lymph node excision | 1 |
| Wrong side angiogram | 2 |
| Wrong side angiogram incision | 1 |
| Wrong side angioplasty | 3 |
| Wrong side angioplasty incision | 1 |
| Wrong side burr holes | 1 |
| Wrong side chest drain | 2 |
| Wrong side hernia incision | 1 |
| Wrong side lung biopsy | 1 |
| Wrong side pacemaker placement | 1 |
| Wrong side spinal injection | 3 |
| Wrong side spinal surgery | 1 |
| Wrong side stent removed | 1 |
| Wrong side ureteric stent | 1 |
| Wrong side ureteric stent removed | 1 |
| Wrong side ureteroscopy | 2 |
| Wrong site block | 46 |
| Wrong site botulinum injection | 1 |
| Wrong skin lesion biopsy | 6 |
| Wrong skin lesion removed | 16 |
| Wrong thyroid lobe removed | 1 |
| Wrong type of stoma – stomach rather than colon | 2 |
| Wrong side of head | 1 |
| Procedure to breast that had not been consented | 1 |
| Gastroscopy instead of colonoscopy | 1 |
| Biopsy from wrong kidney | 1 |
Claiming compensation for mistakes in treating the wrong part of the body
If you believe you have a claim relating to a surgical error, including – the wrong part of the body being operated on or treated – call us to speak with one of our specialists.
Devonshires Claims’ medical negligence experts have experience in dealing with surgical mistakes as well as other medical negligence claims. We willl work with you to achieve the best possible outcome including justice for the harm you suffered, and compensation which adequately reflects the injury, pain, financial losses and the need for further medical treatment and care.
We provide victims of medical negligence with:
- A free no-obligation case evaluation
- A ‘No Win – No Fee’ agreement
- Access to our network of medical experts and specialist barristers
- Over 20 years’ experience
Contact us today to start your free case evaluation. Call us on 0333 900 8787, email admin@devonshiresclaims.co.uk or complete our online form.
Client Stories
Client’s Vein Damaged When Cannula Inserted Negligently
Summary
Negligent treatment of a breast cancer patient. The client suffered pain and loss of function in their right hand and forearm as a consequence of an extravasation of a vesicant drug during their cancer treatment. (chemotherapy).
Settlement
Estimated £50,000 recovered in damages – pre-Trial settlement.
Compensation Claim For Negligent Cataract Treatment: £330K Awarded
Summary
Legal action following a failure of the NHS Trust to properly treat and advise the Claimant pre and post-surgery. The result being that the routine cataract treatment has been unsuccessful and the Claimant is now registered blind.
Settlement
£330k – Negotiated, without Trial.
Negligent Induction of Labour and Emergency C-Section: £300K Compensation Awarded
Summary
Legal action following mismanagement of the Claimant’s induction of labour and emergency Caesarean section.
Settlement
£300,000 made up of compensation for the injury, past and future loss of earnings, care, and future treatment required. Settlement was negotiated without Trial.
