AN INCIDENT during which a patient was 'severely harmed' is being investigated by the trust that runs Basingstoke hospital. 

A report prepared for Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s (HHFT) board of directors revealed that 132 incidents were reported by Basingstoke hospital’s emergency department in March.

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One of these resulted in 'severe harm' and is now being reviewed by the trust and South Central Ambulance Service.

The report said that because of pressures of “non-elective activity and bed capacity” during March, a review of incidents reported by the emergency department, affecting both staff and visitors, is being carried out.

It added: “Both emergency departments at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have experienced a sustained increase in attendance for the month of March 2022 coupled with increased rates of staff sickness due to Covid-19 isolation requirements and similar operational pressures from partner organisations such as the South Central Ambulance Service and the other trusts across the region.”

The trust, which runs Basingstoke, Andover and Winchester hospitals, received a total of 1,381 patient incidents reported during March – which are the most recent figures available.

Of these, 188 were Covid-19 related.

Of the reported incidents at Basingstoke hospital’s emergency department, 34 per cent (20 incidents) were for community acquired skin damage.

Ten incidents reported were for delay or failure to monitor and five incidents were for falls. All of these were recorded as ‘no or low harm’.

A total of 18 incidents were reported by the antenatal ward at Basingstoke hospital, which included for delays to the induction of labour.

A spokesperson from HHFT said: “We can confirm there was an incident in March which is currently being investigated. We await the findings of this investigation and, as always, will respond to these as appropriate.”

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