Healthcare related death with Prof Michael Cleary and Coroner Carol Lee

Healthcare related death
This session is chaired by MLSQ Senior Vice President Dr Mark Woodrow

The Scenario
 
The setting is a large regional hospital in a relatively disadvantaged town.  There is difficulty attracting staff, and most positions are filled by locums, newly arrived IMG’s and rotating registrars.

A patient presents on a Friday evening, another victim of drug related gang violence.  He had been pinned to a wall by a car and sustained multiple injuries. He was resuscitated by the ED and then whisked off to theatre by the enthusiastic surgical registrar, who happened to be walking past the ED on his way home.

Unfortunately, while performing surgery, the patient deteriorated and died on the table.  This led to a Coroners notification, investigation and plenty of media attention.  All staff were interviewed by police, hospital and external investigators.

Prof Michael Cleary & Coroner Carol Lee in this episode cover off

• Investigations and procedures after an event
• The role, responsibility and liability of medical administrators
• Internal vs external investigators
• The media
• Role of the Coroner