A British hospital has admitted that it mistakenly performed six amputations in three years, a small fraction of an ‘accidental’ amputation epidemic occurring at UK hospitals with as many as 105 over three years.
York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust acknowledged the mistakes — the highest number of incidents in any UK hospital — resulting from medical negligence. The Yorkshire hospital revealed that four of the accidental amputations occurred in 2020, while the remaining two happened in 2021.
However, the Yorkshire hospital is not the only hospital operating under Britain’s socialized healthcare system to have ‘accidentally’ cut off peoples’ limbs. Records disclosed by Accident Claims reveal that Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust also carried out two unnecessary amputations. Five further cases of mistaken amputations resulting from medical negligence occurred at Medway NHS Foundation Trust in Kent.
Three instances also occurred at The George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust in Nuneaton, two in 2020 and one in 2023. East Kent Hospitals University Trust recorded another three in 2020, 2022, and 2023, respectively. Two more ‘accidental’ amputations resulting from negligence were carried out at Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Wiltshire.
North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust each recorded one mistaken amputation resulting from negligence.
A further 15 NHS Foundation Trusts across the UK would not provide exact numbers due to patient confidentiality concerns but provided horrifying estimates suggesting that an additional 82 ‘accidental’ amputations due to medical negligence may have occurred:
- Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust: Fewer than 10.
- Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: Fewer than five.
- Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust: Fewer than five.
- Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust: Fewer than five.
- Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust: Fewer than five.
- Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust: Fewer than five.
- Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust: 15 or fewer.
- Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust: Fewer than five.
- South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust: Fewer than five.
- Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust: Fewer than five.
- The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust: Fewer than 10.
- University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: Fewer than five.
- University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust: Fewer than five.
- Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust: Between one and five.
- Wye Valley NHS Trust: Fewer than six.