Rise in 'never events' fuelling risk of sepsis

Sepsis can develop with little warning and the cause may never be known. Unfortunately, sepsis can also be caused by so-called ‘never events’ – serious negligent mistakes during surgery or other medical treatment.

While the clue is in the name – ‘never events’ should simply never occur – they are increasing in hospitals across England. As the number of these largely preventable errors rises – so does the risk of sepsis.

Hospital-related sepsis has also been rising in recent years, and the news that serious surgical errors are happening more often makes it even more concerning.

Worrying numbers

NHS England has just released provisional figures revealing that in the year to March 2025, 403 ‘never events’ were officially recorded (with a further 18 incidents under review). These included:

• 46 incidents involving doctors operating on the wrong side of the body or on the wrong site
• 106 incidents involving foreign objects left in the body following a procedure, eg swabs, surgical instruments and guide wires
• 30 injections given in the wrong side or the wrong organ
• 41 incidents involved wrong site blocks
• 50 wrong implants or prosthesis were fitted, eg knees, hips and eye lens
• 23 naso/oro-gastric tubes were misplaced
• 31- medication errors

These events should never have occurred if national guidance or safety recommendations had been effectively implemented.

The statistics are worrying. Patients should expect to be able to trust medical professionals to operate and perform other medical procedures to a high standard of care. If they fail to so and harm and injury is caused as a direct result, they must be held accountable.

Sepsis itself is a serious medical emergency. It develops when the body’s immune system overreacts to infection, eg as a result of a medical instrument or a swab left in the site of surgery. A mistaken overdose of methotrexate for cancer can cause sepsis of sceptic chock and prove fatal.

Sepsis can cause significant internal damage to the patient and exacerbate the condition for which they were admitted to hospital. Thankfully, most people who develop sepsis go on to make a good recovery, but some of our clients have suffered significant long-term physical problems.

While ‘never event’ incidents are relatively rare (1-2 per day across England), they should not happen. But when they do, the harm and suffering caused to the patient is deeply distressing and could lead to permanent injury or ill-health.