A PATIENT at Leamington Hospital died after a feeding tube was accidentally inserted into her lung.
The patient, believed to be a woman in her 40s, died at the Central England Rehabilitation Unit (CERU) in January.
It is understood the feeding tube was supposed to pass through the nose into the stomach, but was instead inserted into the lung.
This lead to aspiration pneumonia – an inflammation of the lungs after they come into contact with food or liquid.
South Warwickshire Foundation Trust, which runs the hospital, carried out an investigation following the death and referred to it as a ‘never event’ – a serious incident which should never have happened.
Director of nursing Helen Lancaster said: “On behalf of the trust I would like to offer my sincere condolences to the family.
“Patient safety is our highest priority. Following this incident we conducted a thorough investigation and as a result identified areas of learning. We have already implemented a number of a actions, including re-fresher training with relevant staff and purchasing new state-of-the-art equipment to ensure this will not happen again.”
The Leamington-based CERU hospital offers specialist neurological support to adults from all over the country.
Many patients suffer from brain damage or are seeking help after a stroke.