Hospital blunders result to nearly 3,000 deaths; harmed 7,500 patients

Mistakes on the ward are said to be blamed on overstretched staff trying to cope with higher number of patients.

11:38 04 December 2012

In an alarming report, it was revealed that needless hospital blunders this year have resulted to nearly 3,000 untimely deaths, and had put almost 7,500 patients in harm’s way. According to the study that is due to air in a BBC documentary, there were 2,864 patients who died due to mistakes by hospital staff.

 

This figure is 5per cent higher compared to the data gathered last year.

 

What’s more alarming is the fact that experts believe that such mistakes can increase as more and more people are coming into hospitals. And also that  the number of hospital staff remains the same.

 

It is thought these people need to do more work and they have to do it much faster to accommodate as many patients as possible.

According to the report, critical errors include elderly patients being mistakenly diagnosed with cancer when they were suffering from heart failure; thus given incorrect treatments while they were deteriorating.

In other cases, newborn babies died or were harmed because reportedly nurses or midwives failed to notice chest infections - that could have been cured with antibiotics.

Dr Mike Williams of the University of Exeter said: "Doctors, nurses, and managers do not realise the level of harm that’s going on hospitals.

 

"Most hospitals are now having more and more patients coming through the front door. The money is at standstill, if not reducing.

 

"The number of staff are therefore at the same level, they’re having to do more work – and work harder and faster.

 

"The research is very clear that where staff have to work extremely hard they are much more likely to make mistakes."