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.
403 never events (apr 2025 to mar 2026 (provisional))140 providers reporting
Coverage: Official source scope
Newest content date: 1 Apr 2025. 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
- No update since 11 Jun 2026
- Last record written
- 11 Jun 2026
Records written on 0 of the last 90 days; last write 11 Jun 2026.
Publisher's stated schedule: Monthly. That is the publisher's own description, not a measurement of this copy.
Most common never event categories (Apr 2025 to Mar 2026 (provisional))
Read the chart values
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Wrong site surgery | 166 |
| Retained foreign object post procedure | 121 |
| Wrong implant/prosthesis | 50 |
| Wrong side/site procedure | 40 |
| Wrong site block | 38 |
| Vaginal swab | 32 |
| Injection to wrong side/site | 30 |
| Guide wire/part of guide wire | 26 |
| Wrong skin lesion removed/biopsy | 22 |
| Surgical instrument/part of surgical instrument | 22 |
The chart shows the national count by category for the selected period.
Records
Compare the labelled columns below. On a narrow screen, scroll the table horizontally to see every measure.
| Name | Details | Events | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust | 3 | Source ↗ | |
| South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust | 3 | Source ↗ | |
| The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust | 3 | Source ↗ | |
| The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust | 3 | Source ↗ | |
| University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust | 3 | Source ↗ | |
| West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust | 3 | Source ↗ | |
| Wye Valley NHS Trust | 3 | Source ↗ | |
| Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| Clementine Churchill Hospital reported by NHS North West London Integrated Care Board | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| Croydon Health Services NHS Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| Medway NHS Foundation Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| MSI Reproductive Choices UK, Maidstone Regional Treatment Centre reported by NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| North Bristol NHS Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| Stockport NHS Foundation Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust | 2 | Source ↗ | |
| Airedale NHS Foundation Trust | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| Bolton NHS Foundation Trust | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust | 1 | Source ↗ |