Accidents in hospitals

Most people go to hospitals when they are not particularly well and most expect to receive a high standard of care and have their general well being safeguarded by hospital staff.

 

However, around 450,000 accidents occur in NHS hospitals every year, with the majority, or three quarters, of those accidents affecting patients and visitors.

 

Within those accidents affecting patients and visitors to the hospital, the vast majority were related to trips slip and falls, while accidents involving staff were due to needlestick injuries; injuries caused during manual handling; slips, trips, and falls; and physical assaults by patients.

 

Considering that many patients in hospitals are elderly or in a weakened state, the fact that around 337,500 accidents are happening every year is truly shocking. For an elderly or ill person, or an elderly person who is ill, the impacts of a fall can be devastating.

Causes of accidents

One elderly woman, recovering from a minor operation, slipped on a soaking wet floor and fell heavily on her knee. The impact caused significant damage to her knee and meant that she had to go in for further surgery.

 

In extreme cases, some patients have ended up with broken bones, spinal injuries and even serious head injuries following a slipping and tripping accident.

 

Wet floors and trailing cables were identified as the leading causes of slipping and tripping accidents in hospitals. Wet floors were most often attributed to cleaning staff rather than outside influences.

 

The findings reveal that the majority of slipping accidents in hospitals were due to a specific person’s negligence or due to negligence in the general running of the hospital. Other factors included understaffing, which led to cleaning jobs being rushed, resulting in floors left wetter than necessary.

 

In the case of trailing cables, another main cause of accidents, the hospital is also at fault as it is up to them to ensure that the hospital is a safe place for staff and visitors. Leaving trailing cables around clearly puts people at risk of tripping accidents.

 

Considering the high risk category which many hospital users fall into, overlooking slipping and tripping hazards is extremely careless. For patients, visitors or staff involved in slipping and tripping accidents in hospitals, we can assist you in making a claim for your injuries.

How we can help

Our solicitors are experts in slipping and tripping accidents and can help you win the maximum compensation for your traumatic accident. We will support you throughout your claim and ensure that you keep 100 per cent of your compensation.