What are “Never Events”?
In healthcare, the term “never event” is used to describe patient safety incidents that are particularly serious, and so should never happen if proper systems and procedures are in place.
It is impossible for any healthcare system to eliminate all risk, but never events are considered so preventable that if they happen, there are significant concerns raised about the standard of the care provided.
What is the definition of a Never Event?
NHS England defines never events as serious incidents that are wholly preventable, and where national guidance or safety recommendations provide strong systemic barriers to prevent the event from occurring. When those barriers are correctly applied, the event should never happen. You can read NHS England’s policy here.
Never events are not about blame for individual clinicians; rather, they exist to highlight failures in systems, processes, or safety checks that are designed and dedicated to protecting patients.
What is a “Never Event”?
Some examples of never events in the NHS include:
- Surgery performed on the wrong body part or on the wrong patient.
- Retained surgical items, such as swabs or instruments left inside a patient after an operation.
- Misplacement of a feeding tube into the lungs rather than the stomach.
- Administering incompatible blood products.
- Serious harm caused by the wrong route of administration of certain medications.
These incidents often result in significant physical injury, psychological trauma, and in some cases, life-changing consequences.
NHS England publish details of the “never events” that have occurred recently on this website.
Why are “Never Events” important?
Never events are considered preventable, so their occurrence is a strong indicator that something has gone seriously wrong in a patient’s care.
Hospitals and healthcare providers are required to investigate these incidents thoroughly, report them, and take steps to prevent them from happening again.
For patients and families, a never event can undermine trust in their healthcare provider and raise difficult questions about whether appropriate safeguards were followed.This is why they must be investigated robustly to ensure that trust in the healthcare system can be maintained.
Is a “Never Event” Medical Negligence?
Not every never event will automatically lead to a successful medical negligence claim, but if an incident is classified as a never event, then this will be highly relevant when assessing whether the standard of care provided fell below what was reasonably expected.
If you have been the victim of a “never event” and it has caused physical or psychological injury, additional treatment, or long-term consequences, then you may be entitled to pursue a claim for compensation. A claim for compensation can include your pain and suffering, financial losses, and the cost of future care or rehabilitation.
How Specialist Legal Advice Can Help
“Never event” cases can be complex, involving detailed medical records and expert evidence. Instructing a specialist medical negligence law firm will help you understand what went wrong, whether negligence occurred, and what legal options are available to you.
If you or a loved one has been affected by a “never event”, seeking early specialist advice can be an important step towards answers, accountability, and support.
Quote from author. Gemma Lewis, Partner and Specialist Medical Negligence Solicitor from MDS, said "Never events should not happen, but unfortunately sometimes they do even with robust systems in place to try and prevent them. A medical negligence claim can help you to understand what happened and seek compensation for injuries that you have suffered because of a never event.”
