NHS Must Learn Lessons After Patient Set On Fire During Hospital Surgery

Medical law experts at Irwin Mitchell say any investigation into how a patient undergoing surgery at Scarborough Hospital in North Yorkshire was set on fire must explain what lessons can be learnt to ensure similar incidents can be prevented.

Officials at the Hospital said an unnamed patient was undergoing surgery on Monday (27 February 2012) when a solution used to clean the skin ignited causing burns to the patient and staff.

The patient was treated for the injury and kept in overnight before being transferred to Pinderfields Hospital in West Yorkshire as a precaution. The patient has since been discharged.

A spokesperson for the hospital said they were 'sorry for any pain and distress caused to the patient' and confirmed that an investigation had started to find out what happened.

Anna Bosley, a medical law expert at Irwin Mitchell, acts for patients who have suffered injury following NHS negligence.

She said: “This is a shocking and tragic incident. We’ve seen first-hand the terrible impact that errors in treatment can have on both patients and their families.

“Patient safety must be the number one priority for the NHS. The fact that the hospital has launched an investigation is to be welcomed but this must find out the exact cause of the fire as soon as possible so that action can be taken to ensure this cannot happen again.”