Whistleblower lifts lid on tragic circumstances that led to patient’s corridor death
A whistleblower has revealed the “traumatising” death of a patient near a hospital kitchen after a “wrong decision” to leave them nowhere near emergency equipment.
A patient died in the corridor of the Royal Adelaide Hospital after they were admitted to a “non-designated bed space”, away from emergency equipment and near a kitchen.
A whistleblower, who did not want to be named, said they were informed by a colleague about the incident which occurred on October 11 in the general medicine ward.
“Somebody, somewhere made a wrong decision to admit a patient to a non-designated area so that means that there was no wall-piped oxygen and suction (and) no emergency equipment available,” they said.
“This resuscitation happened with no dignity, no privacy and that poor patient died in a corridor, in a hospital corridor with nowhere to go.”
The source, who works in the health sector, added that while the patient had been placed in a “physical bed” they were situated in the corridor in an alcove near the ward’s kitchen.
Sadly after failed resuscitation attempts the patient died.
The healthcare professional said the incident left both staff and onlookers distressed.
“The nurses that were on that day were all sent home early because they were so traumatised that they had to do that without their emergency equipment,” they said.
They said the incident spoke to a wider problem with the ramping crisis causing nurses to constantly be “pressured to move patients out of the emergency department”.
“It’s just not okay … and this breaches everything that we should be doing.”
The Australian Nursing & Midwifery Federation (SA Branch) said they were aware of the patient’s death and that “the hospital has conducted an investigation into the incident”.
“This tragedy highlights the immense strain nurses, midwives, and other healthcare workers are facing due to ongoing ramping and bed shortages,” chief executive Elizabeth Dabars said.
“Despite these pressures, nurses continue to work tirelessly to provide safe and compassionate care, but the system is stretched beyond its limits.”
The Department for Health confirmed that a “clinical review” into the incident was completed by senior clinicians from across CALHN who found that “that the patient’s death was unavoidable given the severity of the patient’s condition, and not related to their location in the hospital”.
“CALHN operates under the SA Health Statewide Demand and Escalation Policy, which is designed to maximise hospital capacity while maintaining patient and staff safety,” Central Adelaide Local Health Network Chief Executive Officer, Dr Emma McCahon said.
“The policy requires hospitals to use strategies such as the over-census ward approach to reduce emergency department overcrowding during peak demand.
“It’s a policy endorsed by the Coroner, who recently recommended that ‘a statewide policy should be implemented to address the principles of admitting patients to wards over census’.”
Dr McCahon extended her “sincere condolences” to the patient’s family and staff’s wellbeing is “always paramount”.
More Coverage
Originally published as Whistleblower lifts lid on tragic circumstances that led to patient’s corridor death
