Surgical procedures are undertaken in many healthcare settings including primary care and radiology. These procedures are undertaken in day surgery units and on an outpatient basis as well as during inpatient care.
Between 1 April 2007 and 31 March 2008 there were 135,247 incidents reported in surgical specialities to the Reporting and Learning System (RLS).
The National Reporting and Learning Service is working to help healthcare organisations reduce the risks during surgery in a number of ways, including: