‘Patients may have lived longer’: Shocking substandard care exposed at hospital

A four-year investigation has exposed shocking levels of substandard care at a Queensland hospital with the life expectancy of at least 12 patients potentially impacted.

The shock report into care at Redlands Hospital took four years.

Twelve patients could have lived longer if they had received proper care at Redlands Hospital, a clinical review into endoscopy cancer screening services has found.

After a four-year agonising wait the investigation, which was commissioned in May 2020, has exposed shocking levels of substandard care in 73 patients — ranging from poor bowel preparation, lack of follow up care, inadequate management of consent processes and insufficient documentation.

Michael Walsh, Director General Queensland Health said that it was clear the health system had let the patients down.

It is believed that many pages of the report have not been made public.

Queensland Health Director General Michael Walsh. Picture: File

“Since receiving the report, the clinical analysis of these 73 patients has identified 12 people who may have lived longer if their care had been of the acceptable standard,” he said.

“Some of these patients were treated more than a decade ago although some of them have been in contact since 2020. Metro South Hospital and Health Service will be in contact with all affected patients to follow up the findings of this report.

“I would like to offer my sincere apologies to the patients and families who received below standard care in colonoscopy and endoscopy services at Redland Hospital during 2008 and 2018,” he said.

The initial review involved 3000 patients under the care of two doctors. The majority of those were recalled and had follow up procedures.

The investigation then identified which of those patients were most at risk and identified 73 whose care was clearly below standard.

Mr Walsh said that if there is compensation Metro South HHS would work with families.

Exteriors of Redland Hospital. Pic Annette Dew

But as reported in The Courier-Mail this week the statute of limitations for claims in medical negligence claims is three years and Health Minister Shannon Fentiman said she had asked Metro South HHS to ensure that any statute of limitations was not a barrier for patients or families.

Queensland Health reports that several factors contributed to the investigation’s duration, including the need to examine cases over a 10-year period, completing a comprehensive clinical review to inform the investigation and the Covid-19 pandemic.

The DG backed the health minister’s assurance that statute of limitations would not be a barrier to compensation claims.

“All claims will be assessed on a case-by-case basis in a supportive way, acknowledging the unique circumstances of each patient and their family,” he said.

When asked if the patients died because staff did not report clinical incidents he said the review is still ongoing.

“Since we received the report, we’ve had senior clinicians reviewing each of those cases and the clinical details of those are not part of the report and they will be discussed with the patients and their families,” Mr Walsh said.

LNP leader David Crisafulli said that Labor MPs have prioritised their political survival over patient survival.

“No one in this Labor government stood up for what was right and for those 12 Queenslanders whose lives were cut short because of their failures,” he said.

“It is unforgivable and unforgettable when lives have hung in the balance. Labor has desperately and deliberately buried a report to save themselves in an election campaign,” Mr Crisafulli claimed.

But the DG said the timing around the release of the report had nothing to do with the election.