Blood clots, or venous thromboembolism (VTE), are a major risk to hospitalised patients. VTE leads to pain, swelling and potential death.
While the full scale of the problem is not known, it is estimated that hospital-associated VTE leads to about 40,000 deaths in England per year, 25,000 of which may be preventable through proper risk management and care.
This is about five times as many healthcare-associated deaths as from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Clostridium difficile combined. There is a strong quality and financial imperative for hospitals to prioritise VTE prevention.