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HEALTH AND MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE LAW AUSTRALIA
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FOR PATIENTS & THEIR FAMILIES: We are offering an obligation-free legal referral service which provides patients and their families access to solicitors/lawyers with expertise and extensive experience in Australian health and medical law, medical negligence, personal injury and compensation. Our panel of solicitors can provide you with OBLIGATION-FREE LEGAL ADVICE. If you would also like legal representation, the lawyers whom we refer to may be able to offer you a Just complete the Contact Form on the right of this page, and we will be in touch with you as soon as possible. BREAKING NEWS: QLD: Investigation into Medical Negligence in Queensland The Crime and Misconduct Commission has appointed retired judge Richard Chesterman QC to assess claims of doctor negligence leading to injury and death in Queensland. It follows allegations from whistleblower Jo Barber who had complained to the CMC that complaints against doctors were ignored or covered up by government agencies. Ms Barber, 42, is employed by Queensland Health's ethical standard unit. Previously she worked as a police officer and was chief investigator on the Medical Board of Queensland. Source: couriermail.com.au, 01.05.12.
Cricketer Nathan Bracken is suing for medical negligence that has allegedly ruined his career Bracken is suing Cricket Australia and three of its medical professionals claiming they failed to "investigate, diagnose and treat" his right knee injury suffered the day before a one-day match against England in 2007. He alleges that he should have been referred to an orthopaedic specialist for arthroscopic surgery. He is suing for lost earnings of at least $1 million. Read more here.
NSW: Alleged cancer misdiagnosis at Gosford Hospital Graham Lord alleges that a pathology lab at Gosford Hospital bungled his pathology tests, resulting in him being wrongly told he had an aggressive stomach cancer. As a result, Graham received 7 rounds of chemotherapy and had 80% of his stomach surgically removed through a gastrectomy. Subsequent independent testing of his biopsy results revealed he had no cancer. According to the Sunday Telegraph, Graham is taking legal action for medical negligence compensation. He continues to suffer physical and psychological difficulties allegedly as a result of the bungle. Source: news.com.au, 13.11.11.
NT: Medical errors resulting in injuries and death- new health department report Two people had surgical equipment left inside them after operations and there were more than 20 cases of preventable deaths or serious harm in Northern Territory hospitals during 2010-11. The figures are revealed in the Health Department's annual report. It shows surgical swabs were left in two patients who then required another operation to get them out. Meanwhile, there were 23 cases of unexpected or unexplained deaths or serious illness/disability believed to have been avoidable. Source: www.ntnews.com.au, 02.11.11.
ACT: Canberra Hospital errors Recent internal ACT Health documents obtained through Freedom of Information reveal a series of medical errors at Canberra Hospital. One woman had surgery performed on the wrong hip. Another patient had a delayed diagnosis of a severe spinal injury, while another was having surgery when a tube that carries urine from the kidneys to the bladder, was cut. A child was also given an overdose of paracetamol. Source: abc.net.au, 26.10.11.
NSW: Failure to diagnose appendicitis resulted in death at Westmead Children's Hospital Jacob Belim, aged 8, died at the Westmead Children's Hospital from septic shock after his appendix ruptured. A coroner yesterday blasted the handling of his condition by staff there and at Liverpool Hospital. Jacob's GP, Dr Chandra Gounder, detected Jacob was suffering from appendicitis - three days before his death - and wrote a referral letter describing his abdomen as "distended, tender and rigid". Dr Gounder also contacted Liverpool Hospital to tell them "this boy looks like having (a) ruptured appendix. Please investigate", but Deputy State Coroner Scott Mitchell found her message "failed to draw anybody's attention to her correct diagnosis". "He was misdiagnosed, left in a significantly dehydrated state, his antibiotic medication was delayed, he missed out on having a surgical review and his transfer to Westmead occurred hours later than it should have," Mr Mitchell said. NSW Deputy State Coroner Scott Mitchell on Monday said the boy's death was a preventable tragedy. Source: The Daily Telegraph, 16.08.11.
VIC: Bungled births are leaving children severely injured A record $33.2 million in compensation payouts have been made in the past year over bungled births in Victoria's public hospitals. Victorian Managed Insurance Authority figures reveal payouts were made in compensation for 29 botched obstetric cases in the year to June 30 2011. A further $4 million was paid to two claims over newborns, while across all specialties 154 patients received more than $57 million. This compared with the previous year, where 31 obstetrics patients were paid $27 million but across all categories 149 patients got $79 million. After obstetrics, the most money went to victims of botched brain and spinal cord surgery. Six were awarded nearly $4.5 million.
VIC: Surgical instrument left inside patient Dandenong Hospital could face legal action after a 30-centimetre surgical tool was found inside a patient who had had a keyhole operation. Marion Fernando suffered severe pain after a hysterectomy at Dandenong Hospital on July 7. When she was still in agony days later, her husband Rohan Weerapperumage took her to the emergency department where a metal tool was discovered in her bowel passage. She had a further operation on July 12 to have the tool removed. "She couldn't stand, she couldn't sit, she couldn't go to the toilet," Mr Weerapperumage told the Weekly. "It was very bad, severe pain." Source: Greater Dandenong Weekly, online 18.07.11.
NSW: Patient dies following misdiagnosis at Bega Hospital Deputy state coroner, Hugh Dillon, said while Michael Sutherland was in Bega Hospital's emergency department he was refused the pain relief he needed for his ''excruciating condition''. He found the hospital had failed to diagnose Mr Sutherland's life-threatening condition of faecal peritonitis, failed to give him adequate pain relief and discharged him although he was clearly very ill. Mr Sutherland died in agony hours after being discharged. Source: SMH online 15.07.11. Read more about Coroner's Inquests here.
Federal: New research on disciplinary action against doctors A Melbourne study has found that 1 in 1500 doctors is disciplined in Australia each year. Male doctors were involved in 91% of cases. Obstetrician-gynaecologists and psychiatrists had the highest rate of disciplinary action, followed by general practitioners. Source: SMH online 02.05.11; see section on disciplinary action.
WA: Woman dies after undergoing unecessary gall bladder removal surgery at Swan District Hospital In a case currently before the coroner's court, it has been revealed that 68 year old Athenia Hana Walden died after undergoing unecessary surgery for removal of her gallbladder, when she had infact had her gallbladder removed 10 years previously. The evidence suggests that the general surgeon overlooked the GP's referral letter which stated that she had had prior surgery to remove her gallbladder. This lady also had a visible healed scar above her navel. The surgeon operated on her and found no gallbladder. It is alleged that during the surgery, the patient's duodenum was perforated in two places. The patient complained of severe pain after the surgery, and died from septic shock 3 days later. The conduct of the medical staff, including the doctors and staff who performed the ultrasound tests that detected a non-existent diseased gallbladder, are also being investigated. Ms Walden's daughter Shona Annan said outside the Coroner's Court yesterday that she believed her mother had been convinced she still had a gallbladder by the ultrasounds and her faith in the medical staff telling her she needed her gallbladder removed. Source: SMH online, 23.03.11; The West Australian online, 24.03.11.
Federal: AIHW releases statistics on medical indemnity claims in Australia Two new reports from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare show that there were 2,255 new medical indemnity claims open in 2007-08 in the private and public sectors combined. Almost 70% of the medical indemnity claims finalised in 2007–08 involved an amount of less than $10,000. 3% of claims were settled for $500,000 or more. Overall, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and General Practice were the specialties most associated with incidents that led to a claim. There were more claims against the public sector (eg public hospital) than private sector. In the public sector, the principal areas of claims involved Emergency Medicine, followed by General Practice (non-procedural), and Obstetrics. The number of claims in obstetrics has remained steady over the last 5 years, whilst claims involving general surgery have dropped to 12% from the high of 30% in 05/06- the peak in that period was noted to have been affected by claims against the one general surgeon in one State. Source: aihw.gov.au, "Public and private sector medical indemnity claims in Australia 2007-08," and "Australia's public sector medical indemnity claims 2007-08," dated 11.03.11. Read more about medical litigation statistics here.
Victoria: Doctors under-report medical errors; more needs to be done to prevent harm Catastrophic medical errors are going unreported at the Royal Children's Hospital, according to research by doctors, who have called for more measures to prevent them. Two doctors from the hospital, Reshma Silas and James Tibballs, reported in the journal Quality and Safety in Health Care, that a systematic review of intensive care unit staff and their management of patients picked up hundreds of adverse events, including many that were not detected by the hospital's voluntary reporting system. Professor Tibballs, a senior intensive care specialist, said the research suggested an ''epidemic of adverse events'' in hospitals that the medical community and broader population knew little about. The 2 doctors found 405 adverse events over 176 days of research. 28% were major errors and 3% were catastrophic. In contrast, when the researchers looked at adverse events reported through the hospital's voluntary reporting scheme over the same period, they found 166 events in 100 patients. Professor Richardson of Monash University said it was astonishing that so little had been done since The Quality in Australian Health Care Study in 1995 estimated about 12,000 Australians were dying each year because of preventable events. ''The issue of adverse events in the Australian health system should dominate all others. However, it would be closer to the truth to describe it as Australia's best kept secret,'' he said. Read more about this in our medical error section. Source: The Age online, 07.03.11; 08.03.11.
NSW: Doctor Graeme Reeves found guilty of removing patient's genitals without their consent A south coast doctor has been found guilty of maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent. The District Court of NSW heard that Dr Reeves excised the patient's clitoris when there was no medical need. He claimed it was necessary to save her life. The patient, Mrs DeWaegeneire, a widow aged 58 at the time of the operation, said she was told it would be a ''simple'' operation to remove a small pre-cancerous lesion. But now ''nothing'' remained of her genital region. Ms Demmery, an anaesthetic nurse, told the court that during the operation she noticed Mrs DeWaegeneire's ''entire external genitalia were taken'' and asked the doctor why he had removed so much. When she realised the patient's clitoris had also been removed she had remarked to the doctor: ''You wouldn't be taking mine.'' He allegedly replied: ''It doesn't matter anyway, her husband. Source: smh.com.au 05.11.10; dailytelegraph.com.au 10.03.11. Update: Dr Reeves has been sentenced to a minimum of 2 years imprisonment (maximum 3.5 years) for removing Ms DeWaegeneire's genitals without consent and indecently assaulting two other female patients. The court had heard he was suffering from major clinical depression, narcissistic personality disorder and impotence at the time of the offences. The judge said Reeves must never again be permitted to practise medicine where it involved contact with patients. Source: smh.com.au 01.07.11. Update: NSW Attorney General Greg Smith today announced the decision to appeal against Dr Reeves' sentence, on the grounds it was "manifestly inadequate". Source: smh.com.au 13.07.11.
NSW: Doctor banned by the NSW Medical Board continued to practise obstetrics A former doctor has admitted to performing caesarean sections and giving consultations to women with complicated pregnancies and deliveries while being banned from practising obstetrics. The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, treated at least 36 patients and earned $230,000 working in a country hospital between 2001 and 2003. Court documents show that in 1997 he was found guilty of unsatisfactory conduct by the Professional Standards Committee of the NSW Medical Board after complaints by nine former patients. He pleaded guilty in the District Court yesterday to obtaining a financial advantage by deception. Source: smh.com.au 09.02.11.
NSW: 53 patients at clinic have been exposed to risk of HIV, Hepatitis B and C The bungle occurred when a newly employed nurse mistakenly believed the Accu-Chek Multiclix, a device used to check blood sugar levels, automatically changed needles. Dr Michael Jones, chairman of the private radiology company PRP Diagnostic Imaging which runs the Gosford clinic, said the nurse didn't realise she had to change the needle manually for each new patient. Instead, the needle was left unchanged between November 28 and January 28, and used on 53 patients and two staff members. Patients were this week sent letters of apology instructing them to undergo blood testing for HIV and hepatitis B and C. Source: smh.com.au 09.02.11.
WA: Boxer Danny Green alleges misdiagnosis World champion boxer Danny Green has hit out at Busselton Hospital for alleged misdiagnosis of his appendicitis. Green says he went to Busselton Hospital on New Year's Eve with severe stomach pain, but says his condition was dismissed by a doctor as not serious. His family were so concerned about his condition, they raced him to a medical centre 30 minutes away. He was finally correctly diagnosed and underwent emergency surgery to remove his appendix and a cyst the size of a softball which had compressed and occluded his bowel. Green said that he had been hospitalised at least 10 times over 7 years for what was initially misdiagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome. The president of the Australian Medical Association (WA), David Mountain, said had Green been punched in the abdomen after the abscess evolved the consequences might have been fatal. Source: news.com.au 08.01.11; adelaidenow.com.au 08.01.11; smh.com.au 07.01.11.
Federal: RACS Report- 5,777 Australians died during or after surgery last year The most frequent causes of death in the 5,777 cases were respiratory failure, multiple-organ failure and septicaemia. Most of the patients had pre-existing problems. However, the auditors made significant criticisms of how 1 in 10 of those patients was managed. They found that case management contributed to 4 per cent of those deaths. The audit committee also found 14 to 16 per cent of patients who were not given critical care support would have benefited from it. Audit committee chairman Professor Guy Maddern, who examined the deaths for the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS), says that a lack of hospital facilities is a problem that needs to be addressed. Professor Maddern says in some cases the patients were not transferred to another facility soon enough. The audit also found that too often surgical teams decided against preventative treatment for deep vein thrombosis. Source: abc.net.au 20.12.10.
WA: Boy dies after misdiagnosis Andrew Allan was found dead in his bedroom on September 17 after being sent home with Panadol the day before from Northam Hospital, east of Perth, after a nurse concluded he only had gastroenteritis. Andrew's mother took him to the regional hospital because he had a fever above 40C, was vomiting and had difficulty breathing. An autopsy report showed the teenager had swine flu and staphylococcal pneumonia. WA Health Director-General Kim Snowball said that the nurse failed to recognise the severity of Andrew's symptoms. The nurse had also failed to call a doctor to see Andrew. Source: ninemsn.com.au 20.12.10.
NSW: Baby dies after delay in diagnosing and treating meningitis Three-month-old Melbourne baby Elijah Slavkovic became ill while on a family holiday on the NSW South Coast last year, but he might have been saved if given antibiotics within hours of becoming ill. Instead, he was passed around through 5 hospitals (including hospitals with no paediatric facilities) for 33 hours through Pambula, Bega, Canberra and Sydney before finally being flown to Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital, where he died six weeks later from bacterial meningitis. Medical records from the specialist Sydney hospital indicate despair that Elijah had not received antibiotics sooner, and by then he was too sick to be saved.
W.A: Sentinel Event report reveals 30 unecessary deaths due to medical care in 2009/10 The Department of Health in W.A has reported that 30 patients died in Westen Australian hospitals due to serious preventable incidents. In one case, the wrong side of a patient's body was operated on resulting in a permanent loss of function. Four people were affected when surgeons left swabs and surgical packs inside them and an orthopaedic device failed. One mother haemorrhaged to death, and one patient died due to a medication error. Source: watoday.com.au 03.11.10.
S.A: Right to silence for negligent doctors abolished in disciplinary hearings Rules for the newly established South Australian Health Practitioners Tribunal will follow those of the Supreme Court's civil jurisdiction, which do not allow a respondent to "maintain silence" at hearings to avoid incriminating themselves. The new rules are a significant change from the current practice in which professional disciplinary tribunals operate with some but not all of the protection given to a defendant in a criminal trial. Source: adelaidenow.com.au 03.11.10.
NSW: Charmaine Dragun's death preventable Medical misdiagnosis of Charmaine's mental illness may have lead to her suicide. The coroner found that Charmaine's diagnosis of depression was almost certainly incorrect. The evidence from the three expert psychiatrists in the inquest supported a finding that Charmaine probably had a Bipolar 2 Disorder and that while her downs certainly presented as “depression” there were ups characteristic of “hypomania”. The coroner said if the health professionals treating Ms Dragun had made the correct diagnosis she would have been properly treated with a mood stabiliser and she probably would not have committed suicide. This case raises questions regarding the liability of general practitioners, psychiatrists and psychologists with regard to patient management, communication between professionals, and cross-tapering of antidepressants. This case suggests that patients be warned of the risks associated with cross-tapering of antidepressants when switching medications, and that patients should be carefully monitored under these circumstances. The coroner also suggested that bipolar disorder should be excluded in all patients presenting with depression. 16.10.10. Read more here.
FEDERAL: Radiology errors and patient safety A 2 day conference will be held in Nov 2010 by Radiologists in Sydney, to discuss radiology errors and patient safety. According to an ABC news report, a recent study into medical imaging safety revealed between 5 and 10 per cent of test results don't get back to the referring doctor who requested them, and 18 per cent of tests with abnormal results are not acknowledged by the referring doctor. Additionally, timely follow-up was lacking in 7.7 per cent of abnormal tests that could potentially cause patient harm. Source: abc.net.au 13.10.10.
QLD: Pathology company sued for $2.2 million Pathology company Sullivan Nicolaides has been ordered by the Supreme Court of QLD to pay $2.2 million in damages to a patient who had a stroke when removed from warfarin monitoring. Source: thecourieronline.com.au 27.09.10.
NSW: Man dies after stress test at Blacktown Hospital; death was preventable Harry Coxell, 61, was admitted to Blacktown Hospital on October 31, 2006, after experiencing chest pain. He died a day later, after he collapsed seven minutes into a 20-minute treadmill exercise stress test. The Coroner, Mr Brydon said that upon arriving at the hospital, Mr Coxell was misdiagnosed as having "an intermediate likelihood of suffering from ischaemic heart disease". Mr Coxell was in fact suffering from an aortic dissection (AD), a tear in the wall of the aorta, a rare and life-threatening condition that can be corrected by urgent surgery. Mr Coxell was treated by two "inexperienced" doctors and despite the discovery of a heart murmur - a symptom of aortic dissection - a cardiologist was not consulted. The junior doctors ordered Mr Coxell undertake an echocardiogram (heart ultrasound), but the exercise stress test (EST) was carried out first. The doctors "did not understand that the carrying out of the EST was a contra-indication for suspected AD (aortic dissection)," the coroner said. "There was a clear deficiency in their knowledge of AD apart from a general medical school reference," said Mr Brydon. Mr Coxell "more likely than not, would not have died" if the cardiologist had been notified of his recurrent pain and heart murmur, and had the stress test not been undertaken. Source: smh.com.au 02.09.10.
WA: Dangerous doctors still practising medicine According to investigations by the Sunday Times, 51 doctors in Western Australia are considered so dangerous that they are only allowed to treat patients under strict conditions. In one case, an obstetrician found guilty of conducting rogue surgery has been allowed to continue practising - but has been banned from using forceps when he delivers babies. Which begs the question- what if this obgyn finds themselves in emergency circumstances which require use of forceps? Have patients of this obgyn been told of this potential risk? Information from the WA Medical Board indicates that complaints against WA doctors have risen by 33% in the last year alone. Those complaints include allegations of inadequate treatment and surgical blunders. Source: perthnow.com.au 07.08.10.
VIC: Woman bled to death after liposuction surgery Lauren James, 26, suffered deep pain and was bleeding from her incisions after surgery at the Centre of Cosmetic and Plastic Surgery in Caulfield North. Coroner Spanos found that doctors and surgeons at the clinic had failed to appreciate Ms James was showing signs of post-operative complications which needed investigation rather than just more pain relief. Lauren died 3 days after surgery. Treating surgeon Dr Tam Dieu failed in his obligations to provide adequate post-operative care for Lauren. Source: news.com.au 06.08.10.
VIC: Patient nearly dies from brain infection, allegedly misdiagnosed Kate Newton, 16 was taken by her mother to Melbourne's Casey hospital on June 3 when her agonising headaches became unbearable. Kate was told she must be pregnant, despite her denials. A test revealed a urinary infection. She was given intravenous fluids and sent home with antibiotics; pleas for a brain scan were refused. Her headaches worsened over the following 2 days. Kate returned to hospital and was diagnosed with vertigo. Requests for brain scans were again refused by the hospital. On June 9 she was unable to get out of bed, balance or tolerate light. Her mother Anne called the Royal Children's Hospital and was told to call an ambulance immediately. A brain scan at Dandenong Hospital revealed she was at serious risk, and she was rushed to Monash Medical Centre. On arrival she had a heart attack and had to be resuscitated. She was then rushed to an operating theatre, where neurosurgeons bored a hole in her skull to release the fluid that had been killing her. She still suffers from short-term memory loss and dizzy spells, and does not have full feeling back in her body. Source: news.com.au 12.07.10.
FEDERAL: National dob-in-a health practitioner legislation from 1st July 2010 Patients will benefit from health reforms that include national registration of doctors and other health care practitioners, and mandatory reporting of health practitioners 'bad behaviour'. Read more here.
QLD: Jayant Patel "Dr Death" found guilty Surgeon Dr Jayant Patel has been found guilty of 3 counts of manslaughter and 1 count of grievous bodily harm. He has been sentenced to a jail term of 7 years. Source: news.com.au 01.07.10. Update: Queensland's Court of Appeal has dismissed Dr Jayant Patel's appeal against his seven-year sentence for manslaughter and causing grievous bodily harm.
VIC: Neck fracture misdiagnosed Frank Shevlin who suffered a fall, was sent home by Bendigo Hospital and died 8 days later. A hospital doctor failed to diagnose a fracture in his neck. The day after he was discharged, Mr Shevlin was told he had to go back to hospital by ambulance because it was suspected he had a fractured neck. In a February 23 letter Bendigo Health apologised. Emergency medicine director Salomon Zalstein said Mr Shevlin's fracture was not initially identified. He apologised and said it should not have happened, though spine X-rays of older patients were often confusing. He said he was disturbed Mr Shevlin was discharged late at night and sent home unaided by taxi. He was an 89 year old war veteran. Source: HeraldSun online 04.06.10.
NSW: Wollongong patients at risk of Hepatitis and HIV Patients who have had endoscopy procedures, including gastroscopy and colonoscopy at Dr Zakaria Lakhany's practice have been advised by health authorities to seek testing for blood-borne diseases. It follows an investigation into his practice on May 6 after several patients needed emergency assistance following a procedure at his practice. Public health officers found Dr Lakhany's equipment was not sterilised up to standards and a batch of anaesthetic may have been contaminated, causing patients to get sick. Source: The Daily Telegraph 08.06.10.
VIC: Anaesthetist accused of spreading Hepatitis C to patients Allegations surfaced today that patients of a late-term abortion clinic in Victoria may have been deliberately infected with hepatitis C after a further 32 women tested positive to the virus, bringing to 44 the total number of infections. Most of the women have also undergone genetic testing confirming a DNA match of their strain of hepatitis with Dr James Peters' infection. Dr James Latham Peters worked as an anaesthetist at the clinic over an 18 month period in 2008 and 2009. Dr Peters has not worked at the Croydon Day Surgery since last December, and was suspended by the Medical Practitioners Board on February 15. Dr Peters was a known drug user. He received a suspended jail sentence in 1996 for forging more than 100 pethidine prescriptions for himself and his wife. Hep C is usually transmitted to patients through contaminated syringes or needle stick injuries. The condition can be chronic, or long-term, resulting in liver disease and death in 5% of cases. Source: news.com.au 01.06.10. One wonders how well the medical board are doing their job in protecting the public from doctors with known histories of criminal behaviour. UPDATE: Dr Peters is facing 162 criminal charges- he faces 54 counts of conduct endangering life, 54 of recklessly causing injury and 54 of negligence causing serious injury. Charge sheets lodged with the court say, "The accused ... recklessly engage(d) in ... using and sharing intravenously administered anaesthetic drugs ... knowing he was infected with the hepatitis C virus, (which) may have placed person/s in danger of death." As well as Dr Peters, the private clinic where he worked, the Medical Practitioners Board which continued to register him, and the Health Department could all face a monster civil legal claim for compensation over the scandal. Source: Herald Sun online, 28.05.11.
VIC: Anaesthetist under investigation Another case involving an anaesthetist has surfaced. Dr McHutchinson had previously had his licence cancelled for admittedly groping patients whilst they were anaesthetised. He was subsequently allowed to return to practice. A new allegation has surfaced against this doctor. The most recent alleged victim of Dr McHutchison claims that several months after his operation he was contacted by the hospital - which cannot be named - and was told a nurse had reported seeing the doctor allegedly sexually assault him while he was anaesthetised. Source: SMH 04.06.10.
NSW: Public Hospitals birth trauma compensation totals $115 million The NSW State Government has reportedly paid $115 million over 5 years for medical negligence compensation for birth trauma alone, with Sydney West Area Health (which runs Nepean) having the highest bill. Some cases involved babies being born with cerebral palsy or starved of oxygen, doctors failing to diagnose abnormalities and injury caused to mothers. Source: news.com.au 31.05.10.
NSW: Public Hospitals in NSW have the worst figures for medical error in the country New Productivity Commission figures on ''sentinel events'' - severely harmful incidents that occur due to a failure of hospital systems - showed 59 cases in NSW, compared with 28 in Victoria, the next worst-performing state, and 147 nationwide. Even accounting for NSW having the largest population and the largest number of hospital admissions, the figures still show the state performing worse than the rest of the country. The data showed:
Source: SMH online 28.01.10. Read more about medical error statistics here.
NSW: Botched Spinal Surgery at Nepean Hospital Helen Kerner is suing Nepean Hospital for medical negligence after a standard spinal surgery left her partially paralysed and bowel and bladder incontinent. The procedure was performed by neurosurgeon Dr Suresh Nair. The hospital has admitted a breach in duty of care. A NSW Supreme Court hearing in July will determine what compensation and damages NSW Health must pay Ms Kerner. NSW Health said in a statement the area health service was conducting an independent review that would examine all of Dr Nair's work in the nine years he had worked at Nepean Public Hospital. Dr Nair, 41, is also facing a drugs charge following the death in November of a 22-year-old student in his $1.7 million apartment. Source: SMH website 26.01.10. UPDATE: Neurosurgeon charged with murder and manslaughter Dr Nair has been charged with the murder of Ms Suellen Domingues Zaupa. Ms Domingues Zaupa, 22, died in November allegedly from a cocaine overdose in the Elizabeth Bay apartment of Dr Suresh Surendranath Nair. He was also charged with the manslaughter of escort Victoria McIntyre, 23, who died in hospital after an alleged drug overdose in the surgeon's apartment in February last year. The NSW Medical Board suspended Dr Nair's registration following his arrest in November. Source: SMH website 04.02.10.
Case law update: George v Survery [2009] NSWSC 1348 (11 December 2009) Medical negligence - failure to diagnose heart condition leading to heart transplant. Plaintiff awarded $776,095.79 plus legal costs.
W.A: Allegations of misconduct and gross carelessness involving an OBGYN A surgeon at the centre of a medical scandal involving more than 100 female patients has admitted to misconduct charges against him. The admissions of guilt came during closed-door discussions with the Medical Board days before he was due to answer allegations in a series of public hearings before the State Administrative Tribunal. Newspaper reports suggest that the surgeon, who has left WA, is being sued in the Perth District Court for allegedly performing botched gynaecological operations - some without consent - on women. A blanket suppression order has barred publication of all details and his identity. Source: news.com.au, Perth Now 24.10.09.
VIC: Obstetrician and Anaesthetist under investigation Piyanat Siriwan died six hours after delivering a healthy baby girl at about 8am in South Eastern Private Hospital on April 1, 2004. A coronial inquest into her death previously heard the 33-year-old woman had severe blood loss in the hours after giving birth. In a written finding on Mrs Siriwan's death, coroner Paresa Spanos said not enough was done to save Mrs Siriwan's life, and she recommended the Medical Practitioners Board of Victoria investigate the doctors' management of her case. Source: The Age 22.10.09. See also obgyn news page, and our obstetrics law page for further info.
QLD: Doctor charged with rape A 39-year-old doctor from Toowoomba, who cannot be named, appeared in Ipswich Magistrates Court yesterday on two counts of rape. He was charged on Tuesday after a 34-year-old woman alleged she was sexually assaulted on October 12 by the doctor at a private practice. The Medical Board has suspended the doctor from practice. Police have appealed for other patients with similar experiences to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Source: news.com.au 22.10.09. To read more about this topic, visit our sexual misconduct page.
NSW: Morphine 'helped kill' new mother Petah Kimm died in June 2006, when her blood pressure suddenly dropped just hours after giving birth by caesarean section at Nepean Hospital. A Sydney West Area Health Service internal investigation found a medical emergency team was not called when Ms Kimm's blood pressure dropped, the inquest was told. It also found nobody had checked on Ms Kimm until two hours later, when she was already dead. A student midwife, who had checked on Ms Kimm, had failed to notify an experienced nurse when her blood pressure dropped, the investigation found. A report to the coroner stated that she died from soft-tissue haemorrhage after the caesarean birth, and that morphine toxicity might have been a significant contributing factor. The inquest continues. Source: news.com.au 02.09.09.
QLD: Obstetrician and Gynaecologist banned for 3 years after a series of botched surgeries Brisbane's Health Practitioners Tribunal suspended Dr Ivan Lubenov Popov over adverse health outcomes experienced by six female patients between June 2006 and April 2007. The tribunal, headed by District Court judge Julie Dick, found Dr Popov had demonstrated unsatisfactory professional conduct in five out of six complaints against him. In one particular case, Dr Popov removed a healthy ovary from a patient. Dr Popov even failed to inform the patient about the mistake, despite the direction of a superior supervising specialist. The tribunal was told that Dr Popov also lied to other patients and misled staff about his procedures to try to cover up botched and potentially illegal procedures. Source: The Courier Mail Online, 04.08.09.
Federal: National Health and Hospital Reform Commission Report According to this latest report, Australian hospital errors kill 4,550 people each year, equivalent to 13 jumbo jets crashing and killing all on board each year. This latest report confirms that hospital safety issues, the availability of hospital beds, waiting times and inefficiencies are crucial areas for improvement. After 18 months' consultation and research, the 10-member commission chaired by a health insurance executive, Christine Bennett, has filed 123 recommendations including a limited federal takeover of some state functions, including outpatient services and community health centres. Source: SMH Online, 27.07.09.
NSW: Health Service apologises over childbirth death Health authorities have made their first official apology to the family of Rebecca Murray, the 29 year old mother who bled to death after the birth of her third child at Bathurst Base Hospital. The Bathurst mother died from multi-system organ failure at Nepean Hospital following a Postpartum Haemorrhage in June 2007. The inquest into her death is being heard at Westmead Coroner's Court. In a written statement to the Court, The Greater Western Area Health Service, Bathurst Base Hospital and their staff offered the Murrays "our heartfelt apologies for their loss". In it, they recognise "there were policies, procedures and practices also in place at the time that were sub-optimal and contributed to the tragic outcome". Source: SMH online, 01.06.09
NSW: Sydney man loses leg from hospital infection Gregor Gniewosz, 31, attended Liverpool Hospital in May 2007 for treatment to his foot, but contracted the potentially fatal MRSA bug. But, he wasn't told he'd acquired the infection until four months later. Doctors at Sydney's Prince of Wales Hospital were forced to amputate his left leg below the knee in March this year. NSW Health Minister John Della Bosca late on Wednesday said a wheelchair and artificial leg had been ordered for Mr Gniewosz and work would be done to modify his house. "I'd like to say that I'm sorry this happened to Gregor and his mother," Mr Della Bosca told reporters. Source: SMH online, 06.05.09
QLD: Amputated finger is lost and surgery delayed Wayne Rogerson, 42, of Manly West, severed the middle finger on his left hand in a workplace accident at Rocklea and waited in agony for an ambulance. After 90 minutes, he decided to get himself to hospital with the digit packed in ice. His frustration continued at Princess Alexandra Hospital where he was prepped for surgery three times in two days. On each occasion the operation was postponed because of other emergencies. Source: Courier-Mail 05.03.09
NSW: Brain tumour allegedly misdiagnosed According to ABC news 29.01.09, Brendan Burns, 24, presented to Hay Hospital last Sunday with a bad headache, was transferred to Griffith Base Hospital and discharged early on Monday morning. Later that morning he returned to Hay Hospital and was flown to Sydney's St Vincent's Hospital, where he died last Tuesday evening from a brain tumour allegedly misdiagnosed. The matter is now under investigation by the HCCC.
Federal: Australia's ailing health system QUEENSLAND hospitals have the nation's worst published record for killing or maiming their patients through botched operations, medication errors and other mistakes The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care reported last year that sentinel events more than doubled nationally in 2006-07 compared with a year earlier. But of the 187 deadly or damaging lapses in judgment or procedure made public on 29.01.09, Queensland accounted for over a quarter of the national total. The next worst offender was Victoria (45), which was slammed by its Auditor-General last year for failing to adequately monitor hospital blunders. Some 135,000 patients - or one in 10 public hospital patients - in that state had endured a medical mistake, with more errors believed to have gone unreported. South Australia, with 36 sentinel events, was next in line, followed by NSW (32), Western Australia (15), the ACT (7), the Northern Territory (2) and Tasmania (1).
NSW: Patient allegedly injured in Campbelltown Hospital The SMH reports that Rachel Hale was expecting to have routine surgery to have her appendix removed, however when she woke from the surgery, she was told part of her bowel had also been removed because of a "lump". However hospital insiders have alleged that Mrs Hale's bowel was ruptured because she fell from the operating table while under general anaesthetic just prior to the operation. When she hit the floor, a trocar - a hollow sharp cylinder used to introduce cannulas into blood vessels - that was inserted in her side had sliced through her bowel. It could have killed her. They allege the fall also caused a minor head injury. The insiders claim there were no staff in the operating theatre when she fell and they allege there has been a cover-up by officials. Source: SMH online 19.12.08.
NSW: "Dob in a Doctor" legislation - Record number of doctors dobbing in their colleagues Since the Dr Reeves debacle, the NSW government has legislated that doctors must dob in their colleagues whom they suspect of serious misconduct and drug abuse. For the first time, fellow medics and employers are the biggest source of tip-offs to the NSW Medical Board about doctors who are unfit to practice. Data in the NSW Medical Board's annual report reveals a 59% rise in colleague notifications in 2007/08 compared with the previous year. Source: news.com.au 14.12.08.
VIC: Public hospital medical errors on the increase in Victoria The Department of Human Services' annual Sentinel Events report shows that 28 people died in preventable circumstances. This year 102 serious medical errors were reported, compared with 82 in 2006-07. Source: HeraldSun 13.12.08.
S.A: Queen Elizabeth Hospital found negligent The Full Court of the Supreme Court of S.A has awarded Ms Dayna Curtis $288,846 in medical negligence compensation plus payment for legal costs, because staff at the QEH failed to diagnose her bacterial meningitis, resulting in Ms Curtis becoming partially deaf. Source: AdelaideNow online 9.12.08.
NSW: Patient awarded $7.2 million in compensation for cerebral palsy caused by negligence The NSW Court of Appeal last week found that Kaled Elayoubi's catastrophic injuries were caused by the negligence of obstetricians at two hospitals. Mr Elayoubi's cerebral palsy and other brain damage occurred when he was starved of oxygen after his mother's uterus ruptured during birth. Mr Elayoubi, 24, needs round-the-clock care. Mr Elayoubi was born at Bankstown hospital. The defendants which were successfully sued were Dr Gabriel Zipser and Bankstown Hospital (South Western Sydney Area Health Service) and Northern Health. Source: SMH online 7.12.08.
VIC: 22cm Surgical Pack allegedy left inside patient during surgery at Melbourne Private Hospital Peter Shanahan, 60, suffered nine months of excruciating pain after a surgeon allegedly left a 22cm surgical pack in his bowel during a routine operation. Mr Shanahan said he suffered months of agony, and possibly a needless hernia operation when doctors failed to work out what the lump sticking out of his stomach was.
The pack, and 42cm of Mr Shanahan's damaged bowel, were finally removed last July. It was only after he was rushed to the Sunshine Hospital and later sent to Western Private Hospital that a CT scan revealed the pack, which was removed the next day. Mr Shanahan is now considering taking legal action for medical negligence. Source: Herald Sun Online 5.12.08
WA: Alleged medical negligence claim against surgeon Robert Pollard has revealed to the Sunday Times his difficulties in suing Dr David Kay Kennedy. Mr Pollard of WA alleged that his operation was botched- cartilage in his ankle was sucked out, leaving bone on bone. Mr Pollard and another patient with similar injuries complained to the Medical Board about the doctor, David Kay Kennedy who was prohibited from doing surgery again. Mr Pollard claimed $600,000 in damages, however Dr Kennedy's insurance company didn't cover him, and a week after he and the other patient gained consent orders from the court, the doctor moved to go bankrupt. In February, Mr Pollard accepted just $6000 as an unsecured creditor. Dr Kennedy is now earning a living providing expert opinion reports as an "approved medical specialist" for WorkCover WA. Mr Pollard has clinical depression which followed years of pain and immobility and he has had to go on a disability pension. Source: PerthNow 5.12.08, Colleen Egan.
NSW: Health Dept writes to 6,770 patients at risk Dr David Lindsay ran the Mid-City Skin Cancer Centre (George St, Sydney) for 10 years until he was deregistered as a doctor in August 2008. After reviewing pathology records of more than 9,000 of Mr Lindsay's patients, New South Wales Health has written to 6,770 of them to advise a medical follow-up. A second medical opinion should be sought. The HCCC is currently investigating more than 50 complaints against Dr Lindsay. Source: Doctor leaves 6,770 'at risk of skin cancer', abc.net.au 24.11.08.
Federal: AMA says- 1500 Australians die each year because of hospital overcrowding AMA President Rosanna Capolingua said overcrowding in hospitals accounted for about 1,500 unnecessary deaths a year. Overcrowding compromises patient care and safety. NSW president of the AMA Brian Morton, says all NSW hospitals were operating above the internationally recognised safe occupancy rates of 85 per cent, with some even exceeding their full capacity. Dr Morton told reporters that Gosford Hospital, on the NSW Central Coast, at one stage operated with a 110 per cent capacity, which meant patients were on beds in the corridors. Royal Prince Alfred in Sydney was operating at 95 per cent, while Sydney's Royal North Shore Hospital was at 92 per cent. "Not one of our hospitals is operating at a safe level," he added. Source: Online SMH 12.11.08; The Age 12.11.08.
VIC: Scandal at the Alfred Hospital State Ombudsman George Brouwer has advised Australia's busiest trauma hospital that it could prevent fraud and malpractice scandals by taking billing responsibilities away from its specialists. The Ombudsman's suggestion came in last week's damning report regarding the alleged bungled surgery and overbilling by Dr Kossmann. Further allegations have arisen against The Alfred Hospital that it allowed its former trauma chief, Thomas Kossmann to operate on patients' vital organs despite his medical licence restricting him to orthopedic surgery. The revelation could pose further legal problems for The Alfred, which already faces the prospect of alleged medical negligence claims from some of Thomas Kossmann's former patients. Sources: Online: The Australian 03.11.08 ; The Age 01.11.08; The Age 30.10.08.
Federal: Hospital Errors on the increase according to new study Hospital mix-ups over patient identity and body parts more than doubled in one year to 159 in public hospitals, the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care has found. Mix-ups in private hospitals were also on the increase. Another significant area of hospital errors - where surgeons and nurses forget to remove instruments or swabs and the patient's wound has to be re-opened to retrieve the items - accounted for 28 cases, the same as the previous year in public hospitals. But the number of cases in private hospitals jumped from 16 to 27. Sources: Online SMH 30.10.08; The Australian 30.10.08.
Federal: One in Ten Aussies are harmed by hospital treatment About one in 10 Australian patients will have something go wrong during a hospital visit, University of NSW Institute of Health Innovation director Jeffrey Braithwaite said. Source: Online The Australian 28.10.08.
NSW: Terminally Ill Woman Awarded $405,990.15 plus legal costs, for medical negligence Christine O'Gorman, 57, whose breast cancer spread to her brain and lungs, sued the Sydney South West Area Health Service for compensation after its BreastScreen Service, run out of Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, allegedly failed to detect the cancer in her left breast during screenings in 2004 and 2006. Ms O'Gorman won her case in the Supreme Court of NSW, however, the case may now be subject to an appeal by the area health service. Source: Online SMH: 29.10.08
Doctors 'tired and dangerous' A recent AMA survey of junior doctors indicated that almost half believe their excessive workload runs the risk of compromising patient safety, while a third reported they regularly worked unsafe hours. More than a third of junior hospital doctors prescribe themselves drugs, including tranquilisers and even morphine-based painkillers. Governments need to urgently address working conditions within public hospitals, for the safety and wellbeing of both patients and doctors. The AMA has recommended more doctors in hospitals, safer working hours and better rostering. Source: news.com.au 20.10.08; SMH 22.10.08.
FEDERAL: A new report suggests that more than 1500 people die each year in Australian public hospitals because of overcrowding A UNSW report for the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine also states that Perth’s big hospital emergency departments were the worst in the country for overcrowding, with almost half of patients waiting for a bed. Patients faced delays in being treated for heart attacks and other serious conditions or were given vital drugs such as antibiotics and blood-thinners too late, while the risk of medication errors also increased. Source: "Dying risk up 30% in crowded hospitals," The West, 10.09.08.
NSW: DR REEVES- Struck-off Gynaecologist who allegedly damaged patient's genitals, has been arrested Dr Graeme Reeves was arrested on 10.09.08, taken into custody and charged with 17 offences allegedly committed between 2001- 2003. He was charged with nine counts of aggravated sexual assault and six counts of indecent assault, as well as a count each of female genital mutilation and of maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm. Reeves was denied bail and will remain in custody until his next court date, at Central Local Court in November. Source: SMH: 11.09.08. The Daily Telegraph reports that alleged victims will be spared the trauma of having to go to court to receive compensation, as the State Government will fast-track the civil cases to grant up to $100 million in compensation to the alleged victims. There are allegedly more than 100 victims who may be eligible for compensation. Alleged victims have reported they have been unable in the past to obtain compensation from Dr Reeves because he had filed for bankruptcy and was uninsured (note- the law has since changed making it compulsory for doctors to have professional indemnity insurance). Read here about one woman's story in trying to obtain compensation from bankrupt Dr Reeves, for her daughter who suffers from cerebral palsy, quadraplegic spasticity as a result of Dr Reeve's alleged negligence. NSW Premier Nathan Rees has backed a national system to screen doctors but the opposition is calling for tough new laws at a state level. Source: The Age 10.09.08. There are reports that doctors are opposing the national expansion of the new "dob-in-a-doctor" laws in NSW, which mandatory require doctors to report to the Medical Board any peers they suspect of committing sexual abuse, engaging in drug or alcohol abuse or conduct that may harm another person. Read more about Dr Graham Reeves here.
NSW: Medical errors in western Sydney hospitals A new report says that medical mistakes/poor care was a significant factor in 14 deaths in the past two years at western Sydney public hospitals. Poor care may have contributed to the deaths of up to 25 others. Source: Online SMH 25.08.08 and 26.08.08.
VIC: Patient data manipulated in public hospitals The Australasian College for Emergency Medicine has urged the Government to crack down on hospitals that rort funding by manipulating patient data and inconsistently measure waiting times. Public hospitals get bonuses for reaching State Government benchmarks designed to improve hospital efficiency. The doctors' claims cast doubt about the accuracy of hospital performance data reported by the Government. Source: Online The Age 25.08.08.
Federal: New Report indicates that the majority of medical negligence claims settle for under $100,000 The Australian Institute for Health and Welfare has released a report analysing claims which settled between 2005-6. Some of the findings were:
It is important to note that the amount that is awarded depends on the severity of the damage caused, the needs created and losses suffered as a result of the negligence. Each case varies on its own facts. Source: AIHW Media Release 08.08.08.
QLD: New wrtistband in QLD Hospitals to help prevent patient identification errors In 2007, Queensland Health recorded 31 cases where mistaken identity led to patients being seriously harmed. Such blunders include wrong site surgery, incompatible blood transfusions, and patients receiving the wrong medication. There have been at least 117 "adverse blood events" since December 2006. The introduction of the white plastic wristbands follows a recent agreement by Australian health ministers and will take several months to implement. Source: Courier Mail Online 03.08.08.
S.A: Royal Adelaide Hospital - 720 cancer patients given wrong radiation dose One of four radiation machines at the Royal Adelaide Hospital was giving an incorrect dosage to cancer patients for two years (2004-2006). Dr Peter Ford from the Australian Medical Association (AMA) says that while the overall effect on patients may have been minimal, a five per cent under-dose could be significant in some cases. An inquiry will be held. RAH Radiation Machines, ABC News 25.07.08; Cancer Patients to be Reviewed, ABC News 30.07.08. UPDATE: 11.09.08. An independent review was led by NSW radiation oncologist Geoff Delaney. Professor Delaney reported: "In terms of clinical significance, it is likely that almost all patients will have not suffered as a result of the radiotherapy underdose because the underdose was relatively small." A separate independent review will now examine why the matter was kept secret. Professor Delaney made 14 recommendations to ensure the mistake would not be repeated. The South Australian Government has accepted all of them. Source: Online The Australian.
NSW: Special Commission of Inquiry Into Acute Care Services in NSW Hospitals 31.07.08: Peter Garling SC, the Commissioner of the Inquiry today released the first of his reports. The case of Dr Graham Reeves, obgyn who allegedly botched operations, has now been referred to the DPP for consideration of possible criminal charges. The Commissioner made some 10 recommendations, and the NSW Health Minister has said that the government will implement all 10 recommendations. To read more: Commission's website; "Rogue Surgeon referred to DPP", SMH 31.07.08. Update: 27.11.08 A further report was handed down today. The NSW government has promised to respond to the Garling report by March next year.
QLD: Dr Jayant Patel UPDATE 21.07.08: Dr Patel is back in Australia to face criminal charges. Patel faces 14 charges including manslaughter and grievous bodily harm, relating to his time at Queensland's Bundaberg Base Hospital between 2003 and 2005. He has been granted bail with conditions. Source: Online SMH 21.07.08. UPDATE 10.02.09: Dr Patel is currently in Brisbane's Magistrate's Court for his committal hearing.
S.A: Adelaide doctor jailed for taking intimate photographs of female patients for his own sexual gratification Dr Gurmit Singh Dhillon is serving a two year jail sentence, with a non-parole period of 14 months, after pleading guilty last year to 15 charges of indecent behaviour and a further 2 counts of indecent assault. UPDATE 15.07.08: The Medical Professional Conduct Tribunal today ruled that Gurmit Dhillon be banned from practice because of the humiliation and distress caused to his victims, Adelaide Now reported. During consultations he secretly took photographs with a digital camera after unecessarily asking them to remove their underpants, and these were put onto a laptop or a computer hard drive. Reprimanded by the Medical Board in September 2005, Dhillon continued to see and assault patients until his name was removed from the register of doctors a month later.
VIC: Latest report shows that 1 in 10 patients in Victorian hospitals will suffer from a medical error. The Patient Safety in Public Hospitals report tabled in parliament has shown that "clinical incidents" affected more than 135,000 patients last year. According to the report, about 50 per cent of care-related injuries are avoidable. Source: "Hospital errors affect one in 10"; news.com.au 28.05.08. Read more about Medical Error Statistics here.
VIC: Dermatologist / Cosmetic Surgeon fronts Medical Board An Armadale dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon is currently before the Medical Board, accused of the following: performing inappropriate procedures on 6 patients; repaying a dissatisfied patient $3300 on the condition the patient not complain; asking staff to clean a device containing needles for re-use after it had been used on a patient with hepatitis B. The hearing continues. Source: news.com.au 15.04.08.
NSW: Hospital staff under scrutiny for alleged misdiagnosis Carol Willesee, accomplished stage actress died from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in 2006. According to her daughters, the family became increasingly distressed during their mother's one month stay at Nepean Hospital because they felt ignored by medical staff who did not speak to them at all about what their mother might be suffering from or what tests they were organising. It is alleged by the family that Carol was not diagnosed with CJD until 23 days after her admission. Source: news.com.au 15.04.08.
Dob In a Doctor: NSW Doctors will be legally required to report misconduct Additions to the Medical Practice Amendment Bill will be tabled in parliament at the next sitting in early May. The three areas of mandatory reporting will be sexual abuse in the practice of medicine, drug or alcohol intoxication whilst working, and engaging in conduct which may harm another person. Source: news.com.au 13.04.08.
Kylie Minogue's Breast Cancer Misdiagnosed Kylie Minogue has revealed on US television that a doctor failed to diagnose her with breast cancer, claiming she was "fine." She said: “My message to all of you, and everyone at home is, because someone is in a white coat and using big medical instruments doesn’t necessarily mean they are right.” It is unclear whether the misdiagnosis took place in Australia or overseas. Source: news.com.au.
QLD: Alleged misdiagnosis GP Dr Michael Tait is under investigation over allegations he diagnosed a woman as a hypochondriac even though she was later diagnosed with multiple tumours including a 7.5cm-wide benign brain tumour and seven breast tumours. Dr Tait is also now facing deregistration by the Medical Board. Source: news.com.au 29.03.08.
VICTORIA: Specialist doctor jailed for sexual assault of 14 patients. 14.03.08: A Melbourne dermatologist has been jailed for rape and indecent assault. Read more....
QLD and NSW Medical Boards have suspended Dr Roman Hasil A report by New Zealand authorities alleged the obstetrician and gynaecologist botched sterilisation operations, drank alcohol while on call, and failed to keep proper records. Source: abc.net.au 28.02.07.
Report shows Australian public hospital bungles are killing scores of people Read more about medical errors in Australia and the AIHW report here. Patient safety expert Stephen Bolsin said little had improved in the past decade. "Safety breaches in Australian healthcare are killing more people than breast cancer or road accidents," Associate Professor Bolsin said. (Source: Online SMH 11.07.07)
Public Hospitals are at their Worse. What is being done to fix the system? Walton, an associate professor of medical ethics at the University of Sydney who was NSW's first health care complaints commissioner, is incensed that governments have not moved faster to prevent the rising toll of serious harm and deaths from medical errors.
Record number of medication errors in hospital MEDICATION errors at Royal Melbourne Hospital have doubled in the past four years. Melbourne Health, which runs the hospital, recorded 1217 medication errors in 2005-06 compared with just 503 in 2002-03. READ MORE...
The Law of Medical Negligence: Understanding your rights
If you or your child have been injured by medical treatment, or if you are the dependant of a patient who died as a result of medical treatment, you may be entitled to compensation. Civil legal proceedings in Court for compensation arising from the circumstances of the adverse medical event, usually involve the claimant or "plaintiff" seeking to prove the tort of Negligence before the Court. The cause of action in negligence usually arises in one or more of the following situations:
Treatment Examples:
Diagnosis Examples:
Provision of Information/Advice Examples:
All 3 of the following elements must be proven to establish a case of negligence: 1. The doctor owed the patient a duty of care; 2. The doctor breached that duty of care by some act or omission; 3. This act or omission has caused the patient physical and/or financial harm.
Just because harm or injury has occurred in the course of medical treatment, does not mean that the doctor has been negligent. Negligence is a question of law. The main question to be asked is whether the act or omission by the doctor was reasonable in the circumstances of the case. Expert evidence from a medical practitioner is required to establish whether there was a failure on the part of the treatment provider(s) to exercise reasonable and care and skill in the circumstances and to identify any damage that has been caused by such poor treatment and care. If you were treated as a private patient, you may have an additional claim for breach of contract if your medical treatment is substandard.
Examples of Medical Negligence Personal injuries (including physical damage, psychological damage, death) can occur in all medical specialties. Additionally, medical negligence claims are not limited to law suits against medical practitioners; claims can also be brought against other health professionals such as dentists, nurses, midwives, physiotherapists etc. Specific examples include the following:
Seeking legal advice Medical negligence is a highly specialised field. It has legal principles and rules of procedure which differ from those covering other areas of the law. When seeking legal advice you must ask yourself: What do I really want?
You could instruct a solicitor to act for you in making a complaint only. Complaints are best dealt with by bodies such as the Health Care Complaints Commission. But if your need is financial compensation you must see an experienced medical negligence solicitor as soon as possible.
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WHY USE OUR SERVICE? Finding a competent and experienced medical negligence lawyer can be very difficult. Some solicitors advertise themselves as medical negligence lawyers, when they in fact have little or no experience in the area, or they do have experience but they have only ever represented defendants (i.e doctors and hospitals) and not plaintiffs (patients). The law firms whom we refer enquiries to have solicitors with Specialist Accreditation in Personal Injury (Medical Negligence). To be accredited by the Law Society as a specialist medical negligence solicitor, a solicitor must pass rigourous assessments, demonstrate a high standard of technical legal knowledge, core skills and practical capabilities in the area of medical negligence law. To maintain their specialist accreditation, they must also demonstrate continued substantial involvement and legal education in medical negligence law. By speaking with patients, lawyers, barristers, we have attempted to locate excellent specialist medical negligence lawyers with solid reputations as experts in this area. It is through feedback to this website that we are able to assess the quality of the solicitors we refer to. Moreover we only refer to plaintiff lawyers with a genuine interest in patient's rights. And the best part is that this referral service is free for patients and their families with genuine claims. COMPLETE THE CONTACT FORM TO FIND OUT MORE!
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