Who is really to blame?
Over 100 serious incidents are reported across the NHS each day. Blame is often placed on individuals, and staff can face disciplinary action, meaning exploring why errors happen is discouraged.
Dr Victoria Filingeri at the University of Derby is working with orthopaedic surgeons in Hampshire to tackle this. Mistakes are discussed in a safe environment, exploring the wider factors that may have contributed, such as long hours, high turnover of staff, unfamiliarity of settings, and a lack of standardised equipment across sites. By understanding this wider culture, procedures can be changed, and chances of errors reduced.
Surgical team