MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE PATIENT SAFETY ITEM 1.7

PATIENT SAFETY ACT 2023

John Whelan Solicitor with specialist expertise in Medical Negligence and Patient Safety gives an example of a Notifiable Incident as envisaged by Item 1.7 of the Act. 

There are 13 notifiable incidents set out in the Act but other notifiable incidents may be introduced by Ministerial regulation under Section 8 of the Act.

ITEM 1.7

A Patient death due to a transfusion of ABO incompatible blood or blood components and the death was unintended and unanticipated and which did not arise from or as a consequence of or wholly attributable to the illness of the Patient or an underlying condition of the Patient.

An example of a Patient’s death due to a transfusion of incompatible blood in this case.  

A Patient was admitted to hospital for routine surgery to repair a fractured leg.   This Patient was otherwise stable and expected to recover fully from the procedure.

However, during the Patient’s post operative care, a blood transfusion was required due to a mistake.  The Patient was accidentally transfused with incompatible blood specifically the Patient received blood of the wrong blood type.   This mismatch between the Patient blood type and the transfused blood triggered a severe and immediate reaction in which the immune system attacked the incompatible red blood cells.  This reaction led to multi organ failure, and despite efforts to save the Patient, the Patient died shortly after the transfusion.

This death was unintended and unanticipated, directly caused by the administration of the wrong blood type, which was entirely avoidable through proper cross matching and verification protocols.   The death was not attributable to any underlying condition or illness the patient had.   The transfusion mistake itself was the cause of death, unrelated to the leg fracture or any other medical issues.

For more detailed insights into how the Patient Safety Act 2023 impacts you and how Whelan Law can support you, please visit our Patient Safety Rights Legal Advice https://www.whelanlaw.ie/news/medical-negligence-and-patient-safety/