Radiology suite equipment failure results in patient death

A UK hospital patient bled to death during an operation after medics accidentally hit an emergency power off button with a cart

By Healthcare Facilities Today


A UK hospital patient bled to death during an operation after medics ­accidentally hit an emergency power off button with a cart, according to an article on the The Mirror website.

Staff scrambled to switch the electricity back on but the man was dead by the time it was running again. A senior NHS source said: “While this is an extremely rare event, it remains completely unacceptable. Hospitals have to learn lessons,” according to the article.

He was one of 39 patients who died or suffered serious harm in the past two years due to issues with the facilities, Freedom of ­Information Act figures revealed. A report of the ­incident said: “Although none of the involved clinicians felt the accidental pressing of the emergency power off button changed the outcome, the radiology suite has had a cage placed over the button,” the article said.

In another serious incident a patient was found not breathing while a ­hospital’s emergency bleep system failed, the article said. There was no alert to say it was down and experts did not receive desperate pager messages calling them to him.

Read the article.

 

 

 



November 13, 2013


Topic Area: Safety


Recent Posts

The Top States for Pest Infestations

Healthcare facilities are among the most popular locations for pest infestations.


Ground Broken on Wichita Biomedical Campus Project

The $172.5-million, eight-story, 350,000-square-foot building is expected to open in 2027.


Aligning Construction and Facility Activities to Minimize Problems

Project managers need to address risks early to prevent issues during construction and renovation projects.


Cooper University Health Care Breaks Ground on 'Project Imagine'

The groundbreaking launched the first phase of a $3 billion expansion of the Health Sciences Campus in Camden, New Jersey.


3 Employees Injured by Patient at Halifax Infirmary's Emergency Department

Police contained the threat and took the patient into custody.


 
 


FREE Newsletter Signup Form

News & Updates | Webcast Alerts
Building Technologies | & More!

 
 
 


All fields are required. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

 
 
 
 

Healthcare Facilities Today membership includes free email newsletters from our facility-industry brands.

Facebook   Twitter   LinkedIn   Posts

Copyright © 2023 TradePress. All rights reserved.