A MUM feared she had HIV after a doctor performed a vaginal exam with a swab that had already been used on another patient. Following the "grave error", the 40-year-old was then forced to wait an agonising three months for her test results. 1 A doctor performed a vaginal exam with a swab that had already been used on another patient, England's health ombudsman said Credit: Getty These came back negative.
But investigators have urged GPs to be vigilant about proper infection prevention measures to make sure this never happens again. Rebecca Hilsenrath, England’s health ombudsman, said: "We all know that mistakes happen. "There is always the possibility for human error in any profession.
"Fortunately in this instance, this serious mistake had no medical repercussions." The mum-of-one visited her GP in Batley, West Yorkshire, in December 2022 for a vaginal examination for an existing health condition. After it was carried out, she was told the swab had previously been used on another person's genitals and she was at risk of being infected by blood-borne diseases, including HIV and hepatitis .
Because these can take months to show up, the patient, who lives near Leeds, had to wait 90 days before she could receive accurate results. She complained about the experience to her doctor's surgery, but was dissatisfied with their response so brought the case to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO). Most read in Health NO MESS-ING 'Who is this guy?' - Celtic star compar.