1.2 Identify the hazards and other consequences related to incorrect labelling of specimens

This guide will help you answer 1.2 Identify the hazards and other consequences related to incorrect labelling of specimens.

Labelling specimens correctly is a fundamental part of health and social care practice. Specimens include blood, urine, sputum, swabs, and other samples taken from individuals for testing. Accurate labelling helps identify the sample’s source and ensures safe, effective patient care.

When labels are incorrect, mistakes can happen. These mistakes carry risks for patients, staff, and organisations. The impact can be wide. Some problems put people’s health at risk. Other issues might affect the law, or damage the reputation of a service.

This guide covers the hazards and other results that can follow from wrong labelling of specimens.

What Is Incorrect Labelling?

Incorrect labelling means putting the wrong information, incomplete details, or illegible writing on a specimen. Errors might happen during:

• Writing the patient’s name incorrectly
• Using the wrong date of birth
• Mixing up hospital or NHS numbers
• Leaving out key information
• Swapping labels between samples
• Poorly written or smudged labels

Sometimes several errors happen together, raising the risk even more.

Hazards from Incorrect Labelling

Patient Harm

Wrong labels can lead to results being given to the wrong person. This may cause serious harm. For example, a blood sample labelled incorrectly might mean another patient receives a diagnosis or medication that is not intended for them.

Examples of harm include:

• Wrong treatment started, such as the wrong antibiotics
• Incorrect diagnosis, delaying proper care
• Side effects, allergic reactions, or unnecessary procedures
• Mental distress or anxiety from receiving wrong results

People trust health and social care staff with their wellbeing. When mistakes occur, this trust can quickly break down.

Spread of Infection

Incorrect labelling may lead to contaminated samples being mishandled. If a specimen with an infectious agent, such as bloodborne viruses, is not identified, staff could be exposed to risks.

Mistakes might cause:

• Unsafe handling by lab and clinical staff
• Inadequate infection control
• Potential spread of infection to other patients or staff

Delays in Diagnosis and Treatment

If a specimen cannot be correctly matched to a person, the laboratory might reject it. This often causes delays.

Examples of delays:

• Patient retested, increasing their discomfort
• Postponement of urgent procedures
• Longer wait for vital results
• Progression of untreated illness

Delays can have a serious impact on health outcomes, especially if the condition is time sensitive.

Legal and Regulatory Implications

Providing the wrong results, or breaching patient confidentiality, can have legal consequences for workers and organisations.

Possible results include:

• Claims of negligence
• Disciplinary action
• Reporting to professional bodies such as the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
• Fines or other sanctions under laws like the Data Protection Act 2018

Organisations must follow policies and legal requirements for handling, transporting, and labelling specimens. Failing to do this can put your registration and job at risk.

Breach of Confidentiality

Incorrect labelling sometimes means patient data reaches people who should not see it. An example would be attaching a label with someone else’s name, exposing their health information.

This breaches confidentiality. Maintaining privacy is a professional requirement. Mistakes can lead to complaints or legal claims.

Reputational Damage

If an organisation is known for mistakes in specimen handling, public trust drops. People may be less likely to seek care, affecting community health.

News about errors can spread quickly. Organisations may lose contracts or funding, staff morale may drop, and recruitment becomes harder.

Detailed Consequences Explained

Confidentiality Breach and Data Protection

Patients’ records and information must be kept private. Incorrect labelling can result in:

• Test results being sent to the wrong patient
• Letters or digital communications containing wrong patient details
• Unintended sharing of sensitive medical information

The Data Protection Act 2018 requires health data to be managed responsibly. Breaches must be reported, causing paperwork, investigations, and distress for all involved.

Compromised Patient Safety

Patient safety is at the heart of care. Examples of risks include:

• Blood transfusion errors if a blood sample is mislabelled
• Allergies overlooked if notes are mixed up
• Surgery carried out based on incorrect test results
• Repeat procedures due to lost, rejected or unusable samples

These problems can threaten lives or lead to lasting damage.

Waste of Resources

Incorrect labelling wastes money and time. This includes:

• Cost of repeat tests
• Time spent on investigations
• Extra appointments for patients
• Misuse of testing chemicals and equipment

Staff may also need retraining, and systems may need redesigning.

Impact on Staff

Staff involved in labelling errors may face investigation. This can cause:

• Emotional stress
• Disciplinary action
• Lowered morale
• Increased workload for others

Mistakes are often unintentional, but the impact can be hard to deal with.

Laboratory Errors

A lab receiving a mislabelled or illegible sample may:

• Process it under the wrong identity
• Reject the sample and request a repeat
• Enter results on the wrong file
• Miss time limits for some tests (e.g. urgent microbiology)

Quality control procedures pick up many errors, but not all, so risks remain.

Cross-Contamination

If incorrect labelling leads to mishandling, there is a risk of cross-contamination. For example:

• Storing incompatible specimen types together
• Swapping specimens between patients
• Lab equipment exposed to incorrect samples

Cross-contamination can give false results and endanger health.

Real-Life Examples of Hazards and Consequences

Misdiagnosis Leading to Harm

A urine sample is labelled with the wrong patient’s details. The result shows infection, leading to unnecessary antibiotics. The real patient’s infection is missed, causing them to become more unwell.

Blood Transfusion Error

If blood samples for blood grouping are mislabelled, the patient may receive the wrong blood type. This can lead to serious reactions, such as kidney failure or death.

Infectious Sample Not Treated Correctly

A specimen from a patient known to have hepatitis is incorrectly labelled as another patient. The lab staff do not use extra precautions, putting themselves at risk of infection.

Test Results Delayed

A sample is labelled only with a surname; there are two patients with the same name. The laboratory cannot match the result. The test is repeated, delaying surgery for a patient with a fast-growing tumour.

Controlling the Risks

Health and social care services have systems to limit these dangers:

• Two-person checking: One person collects the specimen, another checks the details
• Barcoding and electronic records: Reduces handwriting errors
• Training and supervision: Staff learn best practice
• Clear policies and workplace procedures: Everyone knows the correct steps
• Regular audits and quality checks: Identify and fix patterns of errors

Actions to Take After Incorrect Labelling

If you notice an error:

1. Report to your line manager immediately
2. Complete an incident or accident form
3. Follow the organisation’s investigation procedure
4. Support the affected individual with information and reassurance

Prompt reporting helps limit harm and prevents future mistakes.

Preventing Incorrect Labelling

You play a key role by:

• Checking patient identity before labelling specimens
• Filling out labels fully and clearly
• Never guessing or rushing
• Asking for advice if unsure
• Recording the time, date, and your initials
• Following infection control measures for hazardous samples
• Using digital systems where available, such as barcode scanning
• Reporting mistakes without fear of blame

You are responsible for accurate, safe specimen handling.

Final Thoughts

Incorrect labelling of specimens can cause a range of serious hazards and consequences. These span from individual harm, such as receiving the wrong treatment, to wider organisational and legal issues. Errors may appear small—perhaps just a name written unclearly—but their impact can be life changing.

Patient safety, privacy, and trust all depend on getting specimen labelling right. Health and social care workers must remain careful, use clear procedures, and act without delay if mistakes happen.

Always treat this task with the attention and sense of duty it deserves. In doing so, you help to keep people safe and maintain the professional standards expected in health and social care.