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

Workplace Safety and the Role of Access Control

Workplace violence and other issues threaten patients, staff and operations, so managers need to rethink security measures and technology.


Henry Ford Hospital Celebrates Construction Milestone for Expansion Project

Crews from BTD, a joint venture created by Barton Malow, Turner Construction and Dixon Construction, are on track to complete the hospital in 2029.


How EVS Leaders Can Support Staff for Better Cleaning

Environmental services is one of the most important departments in healthcare facilities, but it can be a difficult one to manage.


Addressing Infection Prevention Staffing Gaps in Ambulatory and Procedural Care

Traditional models that are based on inpatient bed counts fail to account for the unique demands of ambulatory and procedural settings.


MultiCare Mary Bridge Children's Hospital Officially Opens

The new six-story hospital is designed to serve the unique needs of infants, children and adolescents across the full continuum of care.


 
 


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.