Woman's horror at needle blunder (From South Wales Argus)

Woman's horror at needle blunder

2:00pm Friday 9th May 2008

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A WOMAN said she was horrified after finding an two inch needle left in her back after a visit to hospital.

Wendy Dempsey visited Newport's St Woolos Hospital on Wednesday for acupuncture to help improve her back pain.

But when she returned home she found one of the needles left in from her session.

Having already suffering from crippling back problems - forcing her to walk with crutches -Mrs Dempsey didn't realise the needle was there until it pointed out to her by a relative.

"I didn't notice because I was in a lot of pain anyway," the Llanmartin resident said.

"As I was driving the pain was getting worse and worse. But it was when I got that I realised it didn't feel right.

"I got in and showed my back to my nephew, who noticed the needle stuck in."

Mrs Dempsey rushed back to the Royal Gwent Hospital to have the needle removed.

"It could have been really dangerous. I'm really quite angry about it.

She says she is unlikely to return to the hospital for more acupuncture treatment.

"It was my first visit -and its going to be my last," she said.

A spokesman for the Gwent Healthcare NHS Trust said: "We have spoken to Mrs Dempsey and have offered our sincere apologies.

"She has made a complaint which will be fully investigated by the trust.

"We operate strict protocols for the use of acupuncture and we will contact her as soon as our investigations into this incident are complete."

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