Report a publication incident
Report publication errors to UKMi to improve patient safety, share learning, and identify risks across the MI/MA network.
To report an enquiry-related incident go to Report an enquiry incident.
Definitions
Error: An action or decision that differs from what was intended or expected. For reporting purposes, an error is one that reaches the end user before being identified and corrected.
Near Miss: An incident that had the potential to cause harm but was identified before it reached the end user or before any harm occurred. Near misses provide valuable learning opportunities and should also be reported.
What should be reported
MI/MA publications
Report errors or near misses in publications produced, reviewed, or approved by your MI/MA service, including:
- Bulletins
- Newsletters
- Alerts
- Webpages
- Social media posts
- Other locally produced publications
Examples of reportable issues include:
- Clinical inaccuracies
- Omissions
- Incorrect references
- Calculation errors
- Typographical errors that could affect interpretation
- Outdated information published in error
Resources used by MI/MA
Report significant errors identified in resources listed on the UKMi Essential Resources List (ERL) where the error could affect professional decision-making or patient care.
If you identify an error in an external resource, you should also report it directly to the publisher.
Why report to UKMi
Reporting helps UKMi to:
- Identify recurring themes and risks across the network
- Share learning nationally
- Inform UKMi members about errors in key resources
- Develop recommendations to reduce future incidents
- Improve patient safety and service quality
All reports are reviewed by the Quality and Risk Management Group (QRMG) to identify trends and opportunities for improvement. QRMG does not investigate individual incidents.
How to report an incident
Submit a report
Complete the online reporting form: https://forms.office.com/e/G3TJGJjBn2
No login, password, or NHS-enabled device is required.
Information you will be asked for
| Question | Note |
| When was the publication or resource error identified | Select the date the incident was detected using the calendar provided. |
| Are you reporting an error in a publication (produced by your MI/MA service) or in a resource (used by your MI/MA service) | Select one option. The form will request information specific to the category you select. |
Questions about an error in a publication produced by my MI/MA service
| Question | Note |
| Please give details about your MI/MA publication such as title, purpose, format, publication frequency, and target audience | Free text box. |
| What type of error occurred | Tick all that apply. There is an option for ‘other’ where you can add an error type if it is not listed. |
| Please describe the MI/MA publication error in detail, including any contributing factors for the error, e.g. tight deadline, lack of resources, etc. | Free text box.
Provide a description of the facts for a third person to understand. For example:
What happened: Provide a clear and factual account of the event. How it happened: Explain the sequence of events leading to the error or near miss. Why it happened: Identify any contributing factors or root causes you have identified. |
| How significant is the MI/MA publication error in terms of potential impact on practice? | Minimal impact – no impact on patient care or outcome Moderate impact – misunderstandings or misinterpretations likely but no serious harm if identified and promptly corrected Serious impact – affect clinical decisions and patient care leading to incorrect treatment or interventions Severe impact – could directly lead to harmful clinical decisions and significant patient harm or adverse outcomes Catastrophic impact – widespread harm and risk of fatalities |
| Please explain how this MI/MA publication error potentially impacts patient care or medical practice. | Free text box.
Consider the impact the error would have had if it hadn’t been identified |
| Please describe the actual outcome from the MI/MA publication error on patient care, or medical practice. | Free text box. |
| What actions have been taken or are being planned to reduce the risk of the error recurring? | Free text box.
Please indicate planned and/or taken. |
| Please provide your email address. | Free text box.
In case the UKMi Incident Reporter needs to obtain further information on behalf of QRMG. |
Questions about an error in a resource used by my MI/MA service
| Question | Note |
| Please provide enough information so that the resource can be found or identified. | Free text box.
Such as title, author, URL, publisher, and ISBN (where applicable). |
| What type of error did you encounter? | Tick all that apply. There is an option for ‘other’ where you can add an error type if it is not listed. |
| Please describe the resource error in detail | Free text box.
Provide a description of the facts for a third person to understand. For example: a description of the error, the correct information, and how the error was identified. |
| How significant is the resource error in terms of potential impact on practice? | Minimal impact – no impact on patient care or outcome Moderate impact – misunderstandings or misinterpretations likely but no serious harm if identified and promptly corrected Serious impact – affect clinical decisions and patient care leading to incorrect treatment or interventions Severe impact – could directly lead to harmful clinical decisions and significant patient harm or adverse outcomes Catastrophic impact – widespread harm and risk of fatalities |
| Please explain how this resource error potentially impacts patient care or medical practice. | Free text box.
Consider the impact of the error if it hadn’t been identified. |
| Please describe the actual outcome from the resource error on MI/MA practice, patient care, or medical practice. | Free text box. |
| Have you reported the resource error to the publisher? | All errors in resources should be reported to the publisher.
Tick the applicable statement. For ‘Yes – responses received’ you will be asked ‘What was the response from the publisher’ and a free text box will appear. |
| Please provide your email address in case the UKMi Incident Reporter needs further information for the report. | Free text box.
In case the UKMi Incident Reporter or QRMG need further information for the report. |
Protect confidentiality
Do not include:
- Patient names
- Staff names
- NHS numbers
- Dates of birth
- Any other information that could identify an individual
Any identifiable information found within submissions will be removed before review by QRMG.
Report locally
Reporting to UKMi does not replace local incident reporting requirements.
Follow your organisation's incident reporting process and take any immediate actions required to reduce risk.
Keep local records
MI/MA services should maintain a local record of submitted reports to support local governance and Key Performance Indicator (KPI) monitoring.
What happens after submission
The UKMi Incident Reporter collates incidents and presents them to QRMG for review each quarter. QRMG analyses trends, identifies risks, and develops recommendations for the network.
Issues affecting the wider network may be escalated to the UKMi Executive.
Learning from incident reports
QRMG publishes regular outputs to support learning across the network, including:
- Detailed incident reports (members only)
- Summary reports
- Incident spotlights on recurring themes
These resources can be used for local governance meetings, staff training, quality improvement activities, and risk management discussions.
Last reviewed: July 2026
