Never events in UK general practice: A survey of the views of general practitioners on their frequency and acceptability as a safety improvement approach

Stocks SJ, Alam R, Bowie P, Campbell S, de Wet C, Esmail A, Cheraghi-Sohi S. Never Events in UK General Practice: A Survey of the Views of General Practitioners on Their Frequency and Acceptability as a Safety Improvement Approach. Journal of Patient Safety. 2019;15(4):334-342.

"Never events" are serious but generally preventable patient safety incidents. This study surveyed general practitioners in the UK to assess the incidence of specific never-events in those practices, and whether practitioners agreed with the specific events being designated as a never-event. The most commonly reported events were not investigating abnormal test results (45% of practices) and prescribing despite documented adverse reactions (65% of practices); however, these events were also less likely to be designated "never events" by respondents.

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