By Claire Bates
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A major investigation has been launched after surgeons at an under-fire hospital removed the wrong part of a patient's lung.
The botched operation, which was conducted at Basildon Hospital in Essex, saw surgeons remove the bottom section of the female patient's lung despite needing to remove the top.
The serious error, known as 'wrong site surgery', has been blamed on a mistake in the patient's medical notes.
Surgeons at Basildon Hospital removed the bottom
part of a woman's lung instead of the top. A mistake in the patients
notes was blamed for the error
A hospital source, who refused to be named, said: 'It appears the medical notes that came with the patient from Broomfield had been filled out incorrectly and showed the wrong area of lung to be operated on.
'Afterwards Broomfield said that was the wrong area. It appears the mistake was made at Broomfield, but the investigation will have to look at whether this should have been picked up at Basildon.
Dr Steve Morgan, medical director at Basildon and Thurrock General Hospitals NHS Trust, said: 'In December there was an incident of wrong site surgery. External reviews are taking place into that serious incident.
'No one has been suspended and the nature of the incident is rather complex.'
A spokesman for Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford, Essex, said: 'The Trust is aware of this incident and, in line with its internal safety and governance policies, a full investigation is being carried out.
'It will review its internal clinical procedures after this investigation.'
In November, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) issued two warnings demanding immediate improvement at Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
It followed an unannounced inspection prompted by a number of serious incidents involving the care of children at the trust.
Moral: Go PRIVATE
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