Hospital removed wrong part of lung

2:27pm Monday 4th February 2013 in Local News Exclusive By Jon Austin

Hospital removed wrong part of lung Hospital removed wrong part of lung

A WOMAN had the wrong part of her lung removed during a blundered operation at Basildon Hospital’s specialist heart centre.

Urgent investigations have been launched at Basildon, and Broomfield Hospital, where she was referred from, into how the serious mistake happened.

The woman, who survived and has not been named, should have had the top part of one of her lungs removed.

However, surgeons at the cardiothoracic centre removed an area from the bottom part of the lung which should not have been touched.

The mistake classed as “wrong site surgery” is being investigated as a “never event” - one of 25 major incidents deemed inexcusable within a hospital, according to the Department of Health.

A Basildon Hospital source, who would not be named, said: “It appears that the medical notes that came with the patient from Broomfield had been filled out incorrectly and showed the wrong area of lung to be operated on. Afterwards Broomfield said that was the wrong area. It appears that the mistake was made at Broomfield, but the investigation will have to look at whether this should have been picked up at Basildon.”

Dr Steve Morgan, the hospital trust’s medical director, said: “In December there was an incident of wrong site surgery. External reviews are taking place into that serious incident."

 

Comments (9)

3:37pm Mon 4 Feb 13

jolllyboy says...

How many more incidents at this Hospital.
How many more incidents at Hospitals in general.
How much more should we as patients take without the NHS being improved and not decimated and privatised as it is.

meantime our thoughts are with this lady and the others who have been grossly let down by negligence and errors.
How many more incidents at this Hospital. How many more incidents at Hospitals in general. How much more should we as patients take without the NHS being improved and not decimated and privatised as it is. meantime our thoughts are with this lady and the others who have been grossly let down by negligence and errors. jolllyboy

4:40pm Mon 4 Feb 13

psorias says...

My thoughts also go out to this lady and also to all those poor souls in Basildons Specialist Heart Centre - They must be scared witless reading this if they are about to under the knife. I would have no faith in surgeons who did not even bother to look at a scan image before they dug in. And why oh why could they not see it was healthy lung before their scalpel sliced. It makes you wonder what the next headline might be Man goes in for prostate op comes out with a sex change?
My thoughts also go out to this lady and also to all those poor souls in Basildons Specialist Heart Centre - They must be scared witless reading this if they are about to under the knife. I would have no faith in surgeons who did not even bother to look at a scan image before they dug in. And why oh why could they not see it was healthy lung before their scalpel sliced. It makes you wonder what the next headline might be Man goes in for prostate op comes out with a sex change? psorias

4:41pm Mon 4 Feb 13

shallotman says...

Afraid I would think twice before having to go in this place.
Afraid I would think twice before having to go in this place. shallotman

9:10pm Mon 4 Feb 13

joeyjojo says...

Does this now mean the lady in question will now have to await a transplant because if all they left her with is a bad lung that's as good as useless. Pool soul xxx
Does this now mean the lady in question will now have to await a transplant because if all they left her with is a bad lung that's as good as useless. Pool soul xxx joeyjojo

3:23pm Tue 5 Feb 13

andy:) says...

Wrong site surgery 1
Never Event !

Why dont they call it what it is, an utter **** up..surely things like this should be doubled or triple checked, dont just dive in cutting away.

I too would have serious doubts about going near this hospital, and I'm glad its not my 'local'.

Andy
Wrong site surgery 1 Never Event ! Why dont they call it what it is, an utter **** up..surely things like this should be doubled or triple checked, dont just dive in cutting away. I too would have serious doubts about going near this hospital, and I'm glad its not my 'local'. Andy andy:)

3:56pm Tue 5 Feb 13

whataday says...

Considering all the cut-backs and the fact that NHS hospital wards are operating with far less staff than is safe (due to Trusts not replacing staff when they leave as they have to save money) I am only surprised there are not far more incidents.
The bloke at the top i.e. David Camoron should be the one who is being investigated as he is accountable for the state of the nation's health etc.
Considering all the cut-backs and the fact that NHS hospital wards are operating with far less staff than is safe (due to Trusts not replacing staff when they leave as they have to save money) I am only surprised there are not far more incidents. The bloke at the top i.e. David Camoron should be the one who is being investigated as he is accountable for the state of the nation's health etc. whataday

6:19pm Wed 6 Feb 13

cgb says...

I agree this is a top down problem of under staffing and under funding.
However Basildon will be one of the 5 nationwide Trusts to be investigated for having too high mortality rates 2 years in a row. Says it all really. How many more Staffordshire's are there out there. The government need to realise that proper healthcare costs and targets do not equal better care
I agree this is a top down problem of under staffing and under funding. However Basildon will be one of the 5 nationwide Trusts to be investigated for having too high mortality rates 2 years in a row. Says it all really. How many more Staffordshire's are there out there. The government need to realise that proper healthcare costs and targets do not equal better care cgb

9:59pm Wed 6 Feb 13

gangsta_len says...

Absolutely shameful.
Absolutely shameful. gangsta_len

3:42pm Mon 25 Feb 13

newsreader82 says...

Although Basildon hospital is at fault for not spotting the mistake,it was Broomfield hospital that made an error by entering information incorrectly in the patient's medical notes. I would be more worried about being a patient in Broomfield for fear of being misdiagnosed...
Although Basildon hospital is at fault for not spotting the mistake,it was Broomfield hospital that made an error by entering information incorrectly in the patient's medical notes. I would be more worried about being a patient in Broomfield for fear of being misdiagnosed... newsreader82

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