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

Cleanliness in Hospitals: Clinical Priority and Community Perception

EVS managers and communities value cleanliness for complementary reasons: managers for safety and compliance, communities for trust and comfort.


Dana-Farber Receives $50M Gift for Planned Cancer Hospital

A $50 million grant from the Yawkey Foundation will support construction of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s planned 450,000-square-foot cancer hospital.


Clarinda Regional Health Center Reports Data Security Incident

On or around December 15, 2025, Clarinda learned that certain data within its network may have been accessed without authorization.


Gaps in Nurses' Environmental Cleaning Knowledge Grow Amid Rising EVS Pressures

Environmental cleaning is crucial in preventing HAIs, but when the responsibility falls to those outside of EVS teams, problems arise. 


Ground Broken on the Southern Nevada Forensic Facility

Construction on the new secure forensic psychiatric hospital is expected to be completed in 2029.


 
 


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.