Last-ditch effort to shut down SA chemotherapy bungle inquest

THE long-running inquest into the death of four underdosed chemotherapy patients risks being shut down by a last-minute challenge from senior doctors.

• How The Advertiser first broke this tragic story
• Husband of chemo bungle victim denies being told about underdosing
• Inquest opens with detailed account how the chemo bungle happened
• The fourth victim died during the course of the inquest
• SA Health haematologists stood down after failing to raise the alarm

THE long-running inquest into the death of four underdosed chemotherapy patients risks being shut down by a last-minute challenge from senior doctors.

The potential derailment at this late stage will devastate the 10 affected leukaemia patients and their families, who had pinned their hopes on a coronial report that would expose the doctors’ behaviour and assess the damage caused by the error.

One of the affected patients, Andrew Knox, who relapsed and almost died after being underdosed, said if the challenge succeeded it would almost certainly be appealed — which would suspend the inquest while its fate was decided in the Supreme Court.

“We would be devastated — it feels as though there is never going to be an end to this,” Mr Knox said.

Andrew Knox. Picture: Tom Huntley

After weeks of evidence spread over almost two years, the inquest was expected late this week to hear closing arguments from all sides.

Instead, lawyers for doctors stood down over their mismanagement of the medical mistake — the result of a data entry error — will argue the deputy coroner Anthony Schapel has no right to investigate.

The legal argument will centre on what defines a reportable death to the coroner, with Darrell Trim QC for the doctors signalling he will argue the deaths were not in this category.

The degree to which the deaths were caused by the underdosing will be central to the argument — a question of cause and effect that goes to the heart of the inquest and has been the subject of complex medical evidence.

Bronte Higham, who was one of the 10 chemo patients who were underdosed, giving evidence to the parliamentary inquiry. He has since died.

Anne Pinxteren, also known as Johanna, has also died.

The deputy coroner, Anthony Schapel, began the inquest into the deaths of Bronte Higham, Chris McRae and Johanna Pinxteren and added Carole Bairnsfather, who died after the inquest began.

Mr Knox, who pushed for a Royal Commission into the bungle, said the entire inquest could be wiped out.

“Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been spent, eight legal teams sitting around and all for nothing,” Mr Knox said.