A woman from east London has described how she “lost hope” after part of a surgical blade was left inside her following an operation to remove her ovaries.

Hospitals have logged a record number of “episodes” of people needing help after a surgical tool has been left inside them following an operation or procedure, according to new data analysis.

The woman, in her 40s, who spoke to Press Association on condition of anonymity, said: “When I woke up, I felt something in my belly.

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“The knife they used to cut me broke and they left part in my belly.”

She added: “I was weak, I lost so much blood, I was in pain, all I could do was cry.”

The object was left inside her for five days after the 2016 operation, leading to an additional two-week hospital stay.

“I lost hope, I lost faith in them, I don’t trust them anymore."

The wound from the second operation also took a long time to heal – leaving a scar.

“Every time I look at my belly it’s there.” she added.

Emmalene Bushnell and Kriya Hurley, from the medical negligence department at the law firm Leigh Day, which represented the woman in her subsequent claim, said in a joint statement: “Undergoing surgery is obviously very worrying for any patient but in cases of retained foreign objects they often lead to significant harm to the patient.

“Unfortunately, we continue to see cases of retained objects post-surgery resulting in patients being readmitted to hospital, having a second surgery, suffering sepsis or infection, experiencing a fistula or bowel obstruction, visceral perforation, and psychological harm.

“These events, known as never events, should not occur and we welcome any steps to reduce the incidence of retained objects.”

Blunders like this involving a “foreign object accidentally left in body during surgical and medical care” led to a record 291 “finished consultant episodes” in 2021/22.

This could include swabs, gauze or even surgical devices, including drill bits.

An NHS spokesman said: “Thanks to the hard work of NHS staff, incidents like these are rare.

“However, when they do happen the NHS is committed to learning from them to improve care for future patients.

“Last year, the NHS published new guidance introducing a significant shift in the way the NHS responds to patient safety incidents, which will help organisations increase their focus on understanding how incidents happen and taking steps to make improvements.”

Reporting by PA.