BBC Horizon: How to Avoid Mistakes in Surgery

22 Mar 2013, 10:12 a.m.

Allan Goldman

In a BBC Horizon special, A&E doctor Kevin Fong explored how doctors can avoid making mistakes in the high-pressure, high-stakes world of the operating theatre.

He set out to learn how other professionals make life and death decisions under pressure, from airline pilots facing emergencies, to the Fire Service dealing with lethal blazes, to the world of Formula One pit crews. Kevin discovered how all these fields are helping to make surgery safer.

The programme was partly filmed at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) and featured GOSH patient Evelyn undergoing a cardiac operation.

The film crew followed Evelyn’s journey from the Operating Theatre to Flamingo Ward, and interviewed GOSH Consultant Allan Goldman about patient safety processes such as checklists used by clinicians and surgical teams.

The BBC Horizon programme is available to view here until 11 April 2013.