NHS Never Events
Never events are serious incidents that are regarded as wholly preventable because national safeguards exist, such as wrong site surgery and retained foreign objects. NHS England publishes provisional counts by provider, updated monthly. The framework has been under review since a February 2024 consultation.
166 never events reported86 providers reportingApr 2026 to Aug 2026 (provisional) reporting period
Coverage: Official source scope
Newest content date: 31 Aug 2026. This describes the content held here, not the date this page was opened.
How this source is collected and updated
- Collection method
- Web
- Observed update
- Updated occasionally
- Last record written
- 24 Oct 2026
Records written on 1 of the last 90 days; last write 24 Oct 2026.
Publisher's stated schedule: Monthly. That is the publisher's own description, not a measurement of this copy.
Records
Compare the labelled columns below. On a narrow screen, scroll the table horizontally to see every measure.
| Name | Details | Events | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust | 8 | Source ↗ | |
| Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust | 7 | Source ↗ | |
| East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust | 6 | Source ↗ | |
| The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | 6 | Source ↗ | |
| Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust | 5 | Source ↗ | |
| Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust | 5 | Source ↗ | |
| Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust | 4 | Source ↗ | |
| Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust | 4 | Source ↗ | |
| The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust | 4 | Source ↗ | |
| Barts Health NHS Trust | 3 | Source ↗ | |
| Bristol NHS Foundation Trust | 3 | Source ↗ | |
| East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust | 3 | Source ↗ | |
| Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust | 3 | Source ↗ | |
| Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | 3 | Source ↗ | |
| Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust | 3 | Source ↗ | |
| Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust | 3 | Source ↗ | |
| South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust | 3 | Source ↗ | |
| Bedford Hospital NHS Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| Croydon Health Services NHS Trust | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | 1 | Source ↗ |
Most common never event categories (Apr 2026 to Aug 2026 (provisional))
Read the chart values
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Wrong site surgery | 84 |
| Retained foreign object post procedure | 43 |
| Wrong side/site procedure | 27 |
| Wrong site block | 20 |
| Wrong implant/prosthesis | 17 |
| Vaginal swab/pack | 13 |
| Injection to wrong side/site | 11 |
| Wrong skin lesion removed/biopsy | 10 |
| Procedure intended for another patient | 10 |
| Guide wire/part of guide wire | 9 |
The chart shows the national count by category for the selected period.