Patients died after drug errors by Birmingham NHS cancer services

The original diagnostic test had been incorrectly reported, but if treated, death from TTP is calculated as lower than 20%.

The trust accepts a laboratory error led to the inaccurate reporting of the test.

In February, at the hospital’s quality assurance meeting, there was mention of another blood transfusion near-miss, following mistakes last year, where a patient at Heartlands was twice given incorrect red blood cells.

It brings the total number of blood transfusion events reported at UHB to eight since 2020.

The trust says it has initiated a major improvement programme in response to feedback from an independent external review.

It awaits the full report, but has acted promptly on the basis of initial feedback and is working to minimise the risk of future repetition of similar errors, it added.