A never event (also known as a serious reportable adverse event) is an error in medical care that is clearly identifiable, preventable and serious in its consequences for patients, according to the National Quality Forum (NQF).
A never event (also known as a serious reportable adverse event) is an error in medical care that is clearly identifiable, preventable and serious in its consequences for patients, and indicates a real problem in the safety and credibility of a healthcare facility, according to the National Quality Forum (NQF).
Examples of a never event include surgery on the wrong body part, a foreign object left in a patient after surgery, mismatched blood transfusion, major medication error and preventable post-operative deaths. NQF has adopted a list of 28 never events. They are: