A hospital patient was accidentally given four potentially fatal injections in his eyes after a hospital mix-up involving two people with a similar name.
An investigation found that two outpatients had been mixed-up at their appointments at the Midlands Eye Hospital Centre based at Birmingham City Hospital, because they had ‘similar names and dates of birth.’
Staff had failed to properly identify patient 1 who stood up and went into the consultation room when the name of the second patient was called out.
Patient 1 was then mistakenly given two Lucentis injections in each eye, a drug that slows the growth of blood vessels.
Side effects of the drug can include bleeding, cataracts and detached retinas. In the most serious cases the drug’s website warns of fatal complications related to blood clots including heart attacks and strokes.
Elsewhere, the second patient was given a series of tests, none of which they required.
It wasn’t until the patient asked a nurse when he would be getting his eye injections at 5.30pm, that the error was discovered.A report into the incident said:
Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust say they have now put in to place new policies to ensure the mistake is not repeated. Credit: File Photo.
Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust say they have now put in to place new policies to ensure the mistake is not repeated including issuing wristbands to patients who are having certain procedures, and creating a separate area in the waiting room for people who are due to have injections.Dr Roger Stedman, Medical Director said:
