I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 relating to incidents where objects were unintentionally left inside patients following medical procedures. Please provide the following information for the last two financial years:
1.The number of reported incidents in which a foreign object was unintentionally left inside a patient following a surgical or invasive procedure. For each year, where recorded:
a. The type of object involved (e.g. swab, surgical instrument, guidewire)
b. Whether the incident was classified as a "Never Event" or under another patient safety category
c. Outcomes, where recorded and in aggregated form:
d. Whether additional surgery or intervention was required e. Whether the incident resulted in moderate harm, severe harm, or death (using standard NHS harm categories)
2. The number of incidents that resulted in:
a. Internal investigation
b. External reporting (e.g. to NHS England or another oversight body)
c. Copies of current policies or procedures in place to prevent retained foreign objects during procedures.
