Hospital Errors: They're still common, staff reveals

Life-threatening errors in hospitals are still common. A survey of hospital staff in the UK reveals that a third had witnessed a serious error or 'near miss' in the previous 12 months. The most common error was an incorrect clinical assessment or treatment, while 40 per cent believed the error was caused by staff shortages.

When an error had been found, 94 per cent of hospital staff said they reported it to somebody more senior - although that also suggests that 6 per cent of serious errors are never reported.

Not that that should be a problem for hospital staff. The same survey revealed that up to 65 per cent of staff did not regard the patient as their top priority.