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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-10-27 Daily Xml
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Ministerial Statement

KNIGHT, ASSOC. PROF. JOHN

The Hon. J.D. HILL (Kaurna—Minister for Health, Minister for the Southern Suburbs, Minister Assisting the Premier in the Arts) (14:22): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.D. HILL: Yesterday, the Director of the Cardiac and Thoracic Surgical Unit at the Flinders Medical Centre, Associate Professor John Knight, was suspended from his employment by the Chief Executive Officer of Southern Adelaide Health Service. The suspension relates to the circumstances surrounding cardiac surgery provided to an elderly patient on 25 November last year. The patient died a day after extensive surgery.

The patient's death was reported to the Coroner's Office at that time as the patient had died within 24 hours of a general anaesthetic. The Coroner made a finding as to the cause of death in March this year and did not conduct an inquest at that time. Further information has come to light in regard to this case. That information has been reported to the Coroner, the Crown Solicitor's Office and the Medical Board of South Australia.

The Crown Solicitor's Office has engaged the Government Investigations Unit to look at the case. The information relates to the reporting of the surgery and the patient's death and the appropriate supervision and credentialling of an interstate practitioner who was involved in the surgery.

On 16 October, the Coroner indicated that an inquest would be held into the death. This matter is now before the Coroner. I will await any findings by the Coroner and the Government Investigations Unit before making any comment on the case. I want to reassure the community that our public health system is one of the best in the world with very dedicated staff who strive every day to help our community.

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