NSW: Calls for royal commission into health system

AAP General News (Australia)
12-29-2003
NSW: Calls for royal commission into health system

By Katherine Danks

SYDNEY, Dec 29 AAP - At least one patient has died as a result of substandard care
at a south Sydney hospital, in an escalation of the hospital crisis that prompted NSW
opposition calls for a royal commission.

South Eastern Sydney Area Health Service (SESAHS) today confirmed a mentally-ill patient,
Hossam Attia, killed himself and his wife, Margo, in October 2001 after being discharged
by a junior doctor at St George Hospital.

"It should be noted that assessing the risk of suicide or homicide in mental health
patients is difficult for even the most experienced clinicians," Director of Mental Health
Services, Dr Beth Kotze said.

The confirmation follows a report in the Daily Telegraph that a second patient also
died needlessly at St George Hospital and another suffered brain damage after being left
unsupervised.

SESAHS was unable to comment on the death of the second patient, which is currently
the subject of a coronial investigation.

It denied the brain-damaged patient was left unsupervised or that the person's brain
injury result from a lack of resources, but Dr Kotze admitted mistakes occurred at the
hospital.

"St George Hospital is a very busy hospital and ... it should be acknowledged that
with this workload errors do occur," she said.

The revelations follow a 13-month investigation by the Health Care Complaints Commission
(HCCC) into 19 patient deaths at Campbelltown and Camden hospitals which uncovered massive
problems without blaming a single individual.

NSW opposition health spokesman Barry O'Farrell today called for a royal commission
into the state's health system to restore confidence in public hospitals.

"Neither the premier nor the minister for health can state categorically that what
occurred at Camden and Campbelltown won't occur anywhere else," Mr O'Farrell said.

Dr Kotze said all incidents at St George Hospital had been the subject of immediate,
transparent and thorough reviews and inquiries.

Mr Attia's death was the subject of a coronial and independent inquiry and several
changes, including the increased supervision of junior staff, were implemented, she said.

The patient who suffered brain damage had also been the subject of internal and external
reviews and the case was referred to the HCCC.

AAP kjd/kbw/tma/jlw

KEYWORD: HOSPITALS NIGHTLEAD

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