Leaflet resource
Extravasation is the accidental leakage of any liquid from a vein into the surrounding tissues when administering solutions such as medication or fluids, which can cause serious harm to the patient.
From 1 April 2011 until 31 March 2021 NHS Resolution received 444 claims relating to extravasation injuries. Of those 444 claims, 138 remain open, 197 have settled with damages paid and 109 have closed with nil damages. This has cost the National Health Service (NHS) £15.6 million. This includes payment for claimant legal costs, NHS legal costs and damages.
To share learning from clinical negligence claims with healthcare professionals, NHS Resolution has also published another five ‘Did you know’ information leaflets relating to medication errors. These cover high level medication errors and medication errors in maternity, general practice, anti-coagulants and anti-infectives.
