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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| Circle Healthcare, Harbour Hospital reported by NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| East Cheshire NHS Trust | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| Epsomedical, Cobham Hospital reported by NHS Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care Board | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| Fitzwilliam hospital – Ramsay Health Care reported by NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care Board | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| Kingston and Richmond NHS Foundation Trust | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| Practice Plus Group – Plymouth reported by NHS Devon Integrated Care Board | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| Practice Plus Group, reported by NHS Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| Spa Medica – Chelmsford reported by NHS Mid Essex Integrated Care Board | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| Spire Little Aston reported by Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| Spire Southampton reported by NHS Hampshire, Southampton and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| Spire Wellesley reported by NHS Mid Essex Integrated Care Board | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| Sulis Hospital, Bath reported by NHS Banes, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| Swallows Residential Care Home reported by NHS Lewisham Integrated Care Board | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King’s Lynn, NHS Foundation Trust | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| Tyneside Surgical Services reported by NHS Newcastle Gateshead Integrated Care Board | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| West London Regional Treatment Centre reported by NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| Whittington Health NHS Trust | 1 | Source ↗ | |
| Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | 1 | Source ↗ |