New data lifts lid on extent of NHS surgical mistakes

• Over 400 serious surgical mistakes, termed "never events”, occurred in NHS hospitals between April 2024 and March 2025.
• The incidents encompassed 46 operations on the wrong body part and multiple cases where surgical instruments were left inside patients.
• One patient suffered permanent spinal cord damage after a surgeon mistakenly removed parts of her vertebrae instead of operating on her cervical rib.
• The Royal College of Surgeons has urged NHS hospitals to thoroughly investigate the increase in these incidents to prevent their recurrence.
• The NHS said that these incidents are rare but are investigated for learning and improvement.

IN FULL

Revealed: Woman who wrongly had part of spine removed among hundreds of NHS surgical blunders