Chemotherapy underdose bungle: SA Health re-tenders for computer system
A program designed to prevent another underdosing scandal will need to be replaced – a problem one of the survivors says is “frustrating to say the least”.
SA News
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SA Health’s chemotherapy bungle has taken a turn for the worse – with the dumping of a program designed to prevent a repeat of underdosing patients.
The agency will re-tender for a backup computer system after a risk assessment found the requirements in the first tender were not up to scratch.
Underdosing victim Andrew Knox said the setback was “frustrating to say the least”.
As exposed in The Advertiser, 10 seriously ill cancer patients were underdosed in the bungle between 2014 and 2015 and four have since died.
Deputy Coroner Anthony Schapel’s report into the deaths of Joanna Pinxteren, Christopher McRae, Bronte Higham and Carol Bairnsfather, was unable to conclude that any of them died because they were underdosed.
Expensive plans for a computer backup to prevent another dosing mix-up are now back on the drawing board after a check found the tender requirements were not up to standard.
Underdosing victim Mr Knox learnt of the latest debacle while being driven home from a blood test virtually on the fifth “anniversary” of his underdosing.
Mr Knox said he was sympathetic to SA Health for trying to get the process right, but lamented the long-winded action and the dumping of the tender which will now not see a successful vendor chosen until at least mid-2020.
“It certainly has to be the right system but it has been a long time coming,” Mr Knox said.
“It is disquieting but we have to accept they are trying to get it right.”
SA Health chief medical officer Dr Hendrika Meyer said: “A tender process commenced at the end of 2018 to select a vendor to provide a single statewide Enterprise Chemotherapy Prescribing System.
“Towards the conclusion of the tender process, the evaluation identified a number of implementation risks along with areas of the procurement process that potentially could have been managed more effectively.
“This led the Project Board to determine that the best course of action for the successful implementation and long-term interests of patients is to go back out to the market and re-establish the procurement process.’’