NHS forced to pay compensation to 1,200 staff worried they have been infected after needle prick

More than 1,200 NHS staff have won compensation after being injured by needles potentially infected with HIV or hepatitis over the past six years.

Official figures reveal an “unacceptable” picture of widespread failures to dispose of needles safely, resulting in pay-outs of at least £4,077,441 since 2012.

Hospitals are under a strict legal obligation to dispose of syringes safely, usually by means of a solid, brightly marked “sharps” bin, which doctors and nurses should ensure are close at hand before administering injections.

However, data from NHS Resolution, the body that handles negligence claims against trusts, shows there were 1,833 claims for so-called needlestick injuries between 2012 and 2017.

Of the 1,212 successful claimants, three-quarters were ancillary workers such as porters, cleaners and maintenance staff.

Once accidentally pricked by a used needle, victims face weeks of harrowing uncertainty before finding out if they have contracted a blood-borne disease.

On Saturday workers’ representatives said low-paid staff are living in fear of getting a life-changing illnesses because clinicians do not follow basic guidelines.

The NHS Resolution document said filling sharps bins to dangerous levels, or failing to use them at all, were common reasons for “avoidable” injuries.

The amount of money paid out in compensation since 2012 could pay for more than 200 junior nurses for a year. Claims were made both on the basis of physical injury and psychological distress.

Sara Gorton, head of health at Unison, which represents tens of thousands of hospital support staff, said: “It’s completely unacceptable for staff to be put in danger when they are simply trying to do their job.

“Such injuries cause unnecessary stress and can have a huge impact on someone’s health.  This means time off and ultimately has an impact on patients’ treatment.

“Training needs to get better and trusts must enforce safety.”  

The risk of infection from an infected patient following exposure to a patient’s blood via a needlestick injury is roughly one in three for hepatitis B, one in 30 for hepatitis C and one in 300 for HIV.  

As well as support workers, medical staff can also be at risk and accounted for 11 per cent of the successful claims for compensation between 2012 and 2017.

Surgeons face the particular danger of accidentally stabbing themselves with an infected needle or sharp instrument while operating.