Preventable deaths, sexual assaults and medical errors recorded in Irish hospitals

There were almost 500 notifiable incidents in HSE hospitals last year, which included deaths, sexual assaults and medical errors.

Internal HSE documents recorded incidents including multiple deaths due to misdiagnosis and medical error, sexual assaults, and deaths and serious injuries linked to falls and patients absconding from a healthcare facility.

The details released under Freedom of Information show there were 483 serious incidents recorded at HSE hospitals, mental health facilities and social care settings between September 2015 and December last year, a rate of more than one incident daily.