A woman in Batley, Yorkshire had to be tested for HIV after a vaginal examination with a swab that had already been used on another patient, according to a report by the health ombudsman. After the patient underwent a pre-existing health condition examination at her GP surgery, she was informed by medical staff that an old swab had been used by mistake. Luckily, the 40-year-old tested negative for HIV and hepatitis three months later.
Ombudsman Rebecca Hilsenrath has urged all GPs to follow proper infection-prevention procedures. Hilsenrath added that human errors are an inevitable part of any profession, but that in this instance, “this serious mistake had no medical repercussions.” This was a serious error and the practice should pay the patient £500 in recognition of her distress, according to Hilsenrath’s report.
After the examination in December 2022, the patient complained to the surgery near Leeds, which then apologised. The report found that the practice didn’t sufficiently acknowledge its mistakes to the patient. The patient said: “The mistake was bad enough in the first place – but the aftercare was worse. That is why I escalated it to the ombudsman, as there was no acknowledgement of the distress I experienced for three months.”
The ombudsman mentioned that the GP practice had admitted its mistakes and taken measures to ensure it won’t happen again. The report has renewed the conversation around proper medical protocol when it comes to infection-prevention measures
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