One in 10 hospital patients suffers a care injury

Nov 29 2007 by Madeleine Brindley, Western Mail

ONE patient in every 10 admitted to hospital will suffer an injury or harm as a result of their clinical care.

Research published today reveals that surgery-related incidents, diagnostic errors, trips, falls and bed sores are among the most common forms of injury to hospital-bound patients.

As many as half of these injuries could be prevented, the researchers said.

This is above and beyond the risk – albeit smaller in Wales than in England – of contracting a healthcare-acquired infection.

About 6% of Welsh patients are diagnosed with an infection such as MRSA, Clostridium difficile or even E.coli.

The findings come as the Welsh Conservatives warn that NHS trusts will have to find additional money from their existing budgets to ensure hospitals meet tough new cleanliness standards.

It is feared other parts of the health budgets could be raided in the current “extremely challenging” financial climate.

The new research, published in the journal Quality and Safety in Health Care, is based on a random sample of 1,000 patients admitted to a large teaching hospital in the north of England.

But the findings are likely to be typical of other similar facilities, the researchers from the University of York said.

They found that surgical patients were the most likely to come to harm while in hospital, although these incidents are less preventable than others. While diagnostic errors were less common, they are more preventable.

By far the largest category of problematic incidents involved an unplanned admission or readmission as a result of previous treatment at the hospital. Injuries sustained while in hospital, such as falls, burns, or pressure sores, and other complications, such as a heart attack or deep vein thrombosis were the next most common categories.

Patients who suffered some kind of harm while in hospital had to stay in for an average of eight days.

But one in seven incidents (15%) were sufficient to interfere with daily life or cause temporary disability for six months or more, one in 10 caused permanent disability and a further one in 10 contributed to the patient’s death.

The authors said, “In the light of the findings from this study and [previous UK research], it is now clear that 8% to 10% of patients in NHS hospitals may experience some kind of adverse events ... between 30% and 55% are to some extent preventable.”

Health Minister Edwina Hart has embarked on a crusade to improve patient confidence in the NHS by ensuring all hospitals adhere to strict cleanliness standards.

The Labour-Plaid One Wales agreement also commits the government to phasing out contract cleaning in Welsh hospitals.

But despite the renewed impetus on cleanliness and hygiene, there will be no new money to help NHS trusts achieve that.

Jonathan Morgan, the Welsh Conservative’s shadow health minister, said, “Ministers have repeatedly said they plan to improve hospital cleanliness. We welcome this. Sadly, despite all their warm words it is clear the Labour-Plaid Assembly Government is not prepared to invest in cleaner hospitals.

“Patients deserve to be treated in clean hospitals and in an environment where their health is not threatened by illnesses picked up in dirty wards.

“It is vital this government invests in resources that will combat the spread of diseases such as MRSA and Clostridium difficile. Without extra investment I fear patients’ health will be put at risk by dirtier wards because this government is trying to run the health service through narrow political dogma.”