A serious incident investigation is taking place at St George’s maternity after a swab was left inside a woman’s body – just two months after the same thing happened to another woman.
The “never event”, so serious it should never have happened, occurred in September this year when a vaginal swab was left inside a woman.
Hospital documents revealed the same thing happened two months previously, in July, to another woman at the hospital.
During birth the patient suffered a haemorrhage and had to be stitched up by staff. After delivery she was transferred to the ward where the midwife noticed a “vaginal pack” had been left in place.
The midwife contacted the registrar on call and the swab, described as “large” in hospital documents, was removed.
A full serious incident investigation is currently being undertaken at the Tooting-based hospital. It is being investigated alongside a wider review into retained swab incidents.
Documents revealed there had been three never events in total at the hospital this year, including the two relating to vaginal swabs and one in April which involved a throat swab being left inside a patient.
NHS staff must to follow the World Health Organisation surgical safety list for maternity and are expected to fully complete the checklist, which includes a swab count, before a woman leaves theatre.
St George’s Hospital is unable to comment while the investigation is ongoing.
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