Dawn Trevitt Gulgong Multi-Purpose Service Facility Death: review ordered by NSW Health

The Health Minister has confirmed an inquiry will be held into the shock death of a 66-year-old woman in a rural Mid-Western NSW town, revealing paramedics bypassed another medical clinic. SEE THE LATEST HERE.

Schoolteacher Dawn Trevitt, 66, bled to death at Gulgong Hospital’s emergency department after face-to-face doctors were replaced with treatment via videolink.

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The death of a 66-year-old woman at the Gulgong Multi-Purpose Service Facility — while there were no doctors on site — will be investigated as part of an external review, Health Minister Brad Hazzard has revealed.

School Teacher Dawn Trevitt died following a gastrointestinal rupture while she was being treated by Telehealth services at the regional medical clinic on September 15.

Orange state Shooters MP Philip Donato questioned the Health Minister over the shocking death of the 66-year-old, asking what steps have been taken to contract medical practitioners to work at the regional facility.

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard during Question Time in the Legislative Assembly at the parliament of New South Wales Sydney. Picture: POOL via NCA NewsWire / James Gourley

The Health Minister said the external review into Ms Trevitt’s death would be the subject of an external review under the Clinical Excellence Commission.

Mr Hazzard said he would also seek a review of the ambulance protocol that operates in regional areas after revealing responding paramedics had already bypassed another Multi-Purpose Service Facility

Mr Hazzard confirmed Telehealth was being used at the Gulgong facility, however, said the online service was not being used as a “substitute” to physical doctors to reduce the operational costs.

“There was no doctor at that time available,” Mr Hazzard said in Question Time on Thursday.

“The question around why a doctor was not there remains to be seen, because there have been up until fairly recent times a doctor there.

The Gulgong District Hospital in the NSW Mid-West.

“But it was a challenging and difficult medical circumstance.”

Mr Hazzard said responding paramedics made the decision to direct Ms Trevitt to the Gulgong facility — with plans to transfer her to a major hospital — rather than transporting the patient to Mudgee Hospital.

“That patient could have been brought to Mudgee, but there was an immediate assessment by Telehealth that the patient should be transferred to a major trauma hospital,” he said.