There is much in the medical news these days about Medicare’s plan to deny payment for certain “never events”. A never event is one that is both preventable and should never happy in any circumstance. The National Quality Forum lists 28 “never events”. They have to be clearly identifiable, preventable, and serious in their consequences for patients, and indicate a real problem in the safety and credibility of a health-care facility. The list is used by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Unintended retention of a foreign object in …

“In a WLF Legal Backgrounder paper last month, Martin Calhoun of Spriggs &
Hollingsworth laid out the current pattern of Daubert-adoption and concluded
that “too many juries in too many states still render verdicts based on
expert testimony that is not supported by sound science and would not
satisfy Daubert’s exacting standards of reliability.”
http://www.wlf.org/upload/08-22-08calhoun.pdf

Digging for Worms – varicose vein surgery
Departure lounge – geriatric ward
Handbag positive – confused patient (usually elderly lady) lying on hospital bed clutching handbag
Gassers – anesthestists
Slashers - general surgeons
Read more at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3159813.stm

Maureen Walsh had extreme pain in her toes when she saw vascular surgeon, George Constantinopoulos, in 1998. Dr. Constantinopoulos recommended that Mrs. Walsh receive an arteriogram, but did not treat Mrs. Walsh because he was not on her health plan.
By the time Mrs. Walsh saw a surgeon, her foot had to be amputated. Soon afterward, she lost part of her leg, then eventually all of it. This could have most likely been avoided, if she would have been treated promptly.
Mrs. Walsh sued and won $800,000 in damages and $100,000 in …