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

Rethinking Carpeting's Role in Senior Care Facilities

New research from the Carpet and Rug Institute finds that carpet supports healthier indoor environments.


Parkview Health Breaks Ground on New Hospital in West Lafayette, IN

The hospital is scheduled to open in June 2028.


Loma Linda University Health Experiences Data Breach via AI Tool

A file containing limited patient information was inadvertently uploaded to an external artificial intelligence (AI) platform.


Inside One of Healthcare's Most Ambitious Hospital Projects 

When someone faces a serious medical condition, having access to world-class care close to home can make all the difference. 


Turning Condensate Loss into a Systemwide Steam Efficiency Opportunity

Case study: How APM Steam helped Atrium Health Cabarrus uncover hidden steam system inefficiencies and build an actionable repair plan with a projected $144,949 in annual energy savings.


 
 


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.