Tech issues hit SA Health services across the state

SA Health services across the state have been hit by an “absolutely diabolical” IT outage, which doctors say is putting patients’ lives are at risk.

Worried doctors warn patients’ lives are at risk as a major SA Health computer malfunction continues to disrupt care at hospitals across the state.

The IT glitch, which started on Monday, has disrupted crucial services including pathology and medical imaging, preventing clinicians from getting vital results as soon as possible.

“This is absolutely diabolical working with an inability to review patients’ blood results or radiology – it is huge issue for patient care,” one clinician told The Advertiser.

The clinicians noted the doctor is accountable when bloods get taken, and an inability to check test results could leave patients vulnerable to issues including heart attack.

“It is a Swiss cheese model where there is so much room for disaster,” the clinician said.

Another clinician, from a different hospital, said the outage is severely disrupting workflow.

“Having to ring for all results is very time-consuming and it’s likely that some important results will be missed,” the clinician said.

“There is a very good reason doctors need results at their fingertips and this just isn’t good enough.”

A statewide memo says: “SA Health is currently experiencing a system-wide issue between multiple clinical and administrative systems. This is affecting metropolitan and regional hospitals and services.

“This has stopped the delivery and receipt of messages between many clinical and administrative systems, such as EMR, EPLIS pathology system, OACIS, medical imaging, and meal information systems for diet orders.

“This means ordering and results through EMR and other systems are not currently being shared and updated.”

All SA Health sites have activated risk mitigation strategies and business continuity plans to ensure the continuity of care for patients continues until the programs are restored.

Officials say there has been “minimal impact” on patient care.

Clinicians have been told to contact SA Pathology labs directly to get results of tests, while SA Pathology is directly contacting doctors with critical results.

Opposition health spokeswoman Ashton Hurn said the outage puts the entire health system under even more critical pressure amid packed emergency departments and ongoing ramping.

“With a system under such pressure, surely the government should ensure they’re getting the basics right,” she said.

Health Minister Chris Picton said it was “pretty rich” for a former Liberal government staffer to criticise the government.

“Our hospitals are open and available and no patient treatment or appointments have been cancelled as a result of this,” he said.

SA Health chief executive Dr Robyn Lawrence said: “There has been no adverse impact to any patient’s care as a result of the issue. No surgery or care has been cancelled.”

SA Health has experienced multiple significant computer outages in recent years.

Repeated crashes of the electronic patient record system last year promoted the doctors’ union to question whether the entire system needed to be replaced.

When the system crashed in October 2023, SA Salaried Medical Officers Association chief industrial officer Bernadette Mulholland called for a review and possible replacement of the system.

SASMOA chief industrial officer, Bernadette Mulholland. Picture: Matt Loxton.

“Given the consistent breakdowns of the SA Health electronic patient records system, there needs to be a genuine reflection about whether the technology was ever fit for purpose,” she said at the time.

“To not have the appropriate IT tools, to ensure patient and the community are safe is unacceptable and the bureaucracy needs to determine whether this system should be retained or replaced.”

Thursday night, SA Health deputy chief executive Kerrie Mahon said “the pathology results and ordering application has been restoredand the medical imaging (radiology) application is being tested for restoration as soon as possible’’. She said no patient treatments or appointments had been cancelled.