Andrew Knox, victim of chemotherapy bungle, warns that patients remain at dire risk of blunders

Andrew Knox, victim of the chemotherapy bungle, warns that patients are still at risk unless a proper system is implemented, as the Coroner advised.

Patients in South Australia’s public health network remain at “dire risk” of becoming casualties of medical blunders because of a “flawed and compromised” system, chemotherapy bungle victim Andrew Knox warns.

Calling for commitments from both major parties ahead of the March state election, Mr Knox said that despite several damning inquiries in recent years, victims of adverse clinical events today “remain at the same dire risk as that which befell the chemo blunder victims”.

Mr Knox, 73, was one of 10 patients who were given incorrect chemotherapy doses at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and Flinders Medical Centre over six months from 2014. All of the affected patients have since either died or relapsed.

Mr Knox, who had acute myeloid leukaemia, is currently in remission following a relapse in 2016, and is using his experience to lobby for change.

He wants commitments to axing SA Health’s Safety Learning System, which he said focused on reviewing incidents rather than helping those affected by them.

“There is nothing in any procedure or protocol within SA Health that deals with the first response – it does not address remedial action,” he said.

“It goes into this vacuum where everything stops ... and later they try to work out ‘how can we cover our backsides?’”

Mr Knox said the Safety Learning System was “so flawed and compromised” that it needed to be replaced with an adverse event “response” protocol, which would focus on responding to incidents rather than simply reviewing them.

Chemotherapy bungle victim Andrew Knox is campaigning for an adverse response system in the state’s hospitals. Picture: David Mariuz

He said this was in line with a recommendation by the Deputy State Coroner following the chemo scandal.

Mr Knox said such a “response” system would immediately notify those in charge of incidents and ensure that no further harm was done before appointing a clinical expert to direct and oversee timely remediation.

After this, a review of the adverse event would be undertaken.

“I want a cast-iron commitment (from the Liberals and Labor) to the public that they will carry out the Coroner’s request for a new adverse response system,” Mr Knox said.

“It’s a case of life and death.”

He also said: “We don’t know how many adverse events have been ignored or downgraded. It could happen to anybody, in any situation.”

A state government spokesman said the “immediate management and response” to incidents occured before any notification in the SLS. “Implementing a rapid incident response system does not mean that maintaining a learning system does not have value,” he said.

The spokesman said local health networks were being consulted on a state-wide policy for rapidly examining and responding to adverse events.

Opposition health spokesman Chris Picton said he had met with Mr Knox and there was “absolutely no doubt that the SLS needs major reform”.

“We commit to making sure we act on the recommendations of the Coroner so there’s a system that properly investigates issues raised by clinicians to help prevent further harm.”

Originally published as Andrew Knox, victim of chemotherapy bungle, warns that patients remain at dire risk of blunders