Families of two patients who died during Royal Adelaide Hospital stroke scandal unaware no specialists were on duty
GRIEVING families of two patients who died in the Royal Adelaide Hospital stroke scandal were unaware there were no on-duty specialists to perform potentially lifesaving treatment.
GRIEVING families of two patients who died in the Royal Adelaide Hospital stroke scandal were unaware there were no on-duty specialists to perform potentially lifesaving treatment.
The double-tragedy, exposed by The Advertiser, has rocked the medical fraternity and triggered a vehement attack from Coroner Mark Johns who accused South Australia Health of lacking transparency.
Now, it can be revealed the families of two patients who arrived at the RAH on April 18 expecting critical treatment by the government’s flagship hospital were not told about the staffing matter.
After inquiries from the The Advertiser, SA Health released a statement yesterday saying: “Given the patients who presented to the RAH on 18 April requiring specialist clot retraction treatment received it in a clinically appropriate time frame, rostering was not discussed with their families.
“We have since been in contact with both families to offer support.”
SA Health has held what staff describe as ‘crisis meetings’ this week.
SA Health chief executive Vickie Kaminski has indicated an overhaul of the rostering system will now be implemented, while Health Minister Jack Snelling has told Parliament more staff may be needed — at the moment there are two specialists supposed to cover 24/7, 365 days.
Coroner Mark Johns said the Royal Adelaide Hospital failed to tell him of one death and, in another, crucial details were omitted, meaning no autopsy was conducted and there was no opportunity for police to interview witnesses immediately afterwards.
Mr Johns revealed he had warned SA Health over “many years” that junior doctors with little or no experience treating patients were preparing medical reports on their deaths.
Health officials had claimed the stroke deaths had been referred to the coroner but Mr Johns said the lack of transparency may mean it was not possible for him to hold a coronial inquiry.
SA Health is now scrambling — including crisis meetings with staff to find out who spoke to The Advertiser.
The good news for future patients is that Ms Kaminski has ordered a complete overhaul of the rostering system to ensure the situation does not reoccur.
Mr Snelling has told Parliament that more staff are needed, so it is now possible there will be more than two specialists to cover SA Health’s promise of 24/7, 365 day a year cover at the key emergency hospital for the metropolitan area.
The Advertiser requested the salaries of such doctors to be on call, but did not receive a response from SA Health.
The Advertiser understands SA Health is now urgently inquiring into other issues raised by The Advertiser including why a clinical who was supposedly rostered on for duty when two people died did not appear on the roster until several hours later.
The inquiry will also look at why this clinician was rostered on in a potentially lifesaving job after spending a full roster in another position.