Woman needed HIV test after intimate exam with used swab

The 40-year-old had to wait three months to be tested for HIV and receive a negative result.

The woman complained about the experience (Anthony Devlin/PA) (PA Archive)

A 40-year-old mother had to be tested for HIV after a doctor performed an intimate exam on her with a used swab.

While visiting her GP for a vaginal examination in December 2022, the woman was told the swab had previously been used on another person’s genitals, England’s Health Ombudsman said.

She was then told she was at risk of being infected by blood-borne diseases including HIV and hepatitis, and had to wait three months to be tested for HIV and receive a negative result.

After the mistake had been realised, the woman said staff at the surgery had been “apathetic” and “not understanding” of what she had been through.

It was a grave error, and I still can’t fathom how it happened. I accept that humans make mistakes, but the way the practice dealt with it was appalling

Patient

The mother-of-one complained about the experience to the doctor’s surgery in Batley, West Yorkshire, but after being dissatisfied with their response, brought the case to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.

The practice had already apologised to the woman and put steps in place to avoid a repeat mistake.

But the Ombudsman found that the practice had not done enough to acknowledge its failing, and recommended that the practice pay the woman £500 in recognition of the distress caused.

The woman, who lives near Leeds, described her experience as “appalling”.

She added: “When I found out the swab had already been used and I would need to have tests for HIV and hepatitis, I was extremely upset and scared.

“I was shocked and worried about what this might mean for my health.

“It was a grave error, and I still can’t fathom how it happened. I accept that humans make mistakes, but the way the practice dealt with it was appalling.

For three months, she had to live with the uncertainty of whether she could be suffering from a serious disease, with all the implications that entailed for her own life and that of her child

Ombudsman Rebecca Hilsenrath

“They were apathetic and not understanding of what I had been through.

“The mistake was bad enough in the first place, but the aftercare was worse. That is why I escalated it to the Ombudsman as there was no acknowledgement of the distress I experienced for three months.”

Ombudsman Rebecca Hilsenrath 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 focus of our investigation was the impact on the patient. For three months, she had to live with the uncertainty of whether she could be suffering from a serious disease, with all the implications that entailed for her own life and that of her child.

“This was not addressed by the practice and needed to be put right. The practice has now acknowledged its failings and taken steps to make sure the same mistake doesn’t happen again.

“This shows the power of complaining in bringing resolution to issues like this.”