Overview
- In total, 12,304 suspected cases were reviewed, with 3,731 errors verified, about 2,825 linked to health damage, and roughly 75 deaths recorded.
- Inspectors logged 134 Never Events in 2024—serious, largely preventable incidents—slightly fewer than in 2023.
- Most verified cases trace to operative specialties, especially orthopedics and trauma surgery, and occur predominantly in hospitals.
- Regional tallies echo the pattern: Bavaria confirmed over 700 errors; Berlin/Brandenburg 505; North Rhine–Westphalia about 520; Hamburg/Schleswig-Holstein confirmed 247 with harm; Baden‑Württemberg counted 293 harmed and 10 deaths, including 12 Never Events.
- MD leadership, insurers, and patient advocates cite a large undercount and multi‑billion‑euro costs, urging legal duties to report severe incidents and to inform affected patients.