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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-11-01 Daily Xml
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WOMEN'S AND CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL

Mr PENGILLY (Finniss) (15:06): My question is to the Minister for Health and Ageing. Can the minister advise the house what disciplinary measures have been undertaken in relation to the death last year of Ben Witham at the Women's and Children's Hospital on 24 May 2011? Ben Witham died tragically last year at the Women's and Children's Hospital after being left for 17 hours without proper diagnosis of the cause, which was a perforated stomach. Last month, the Coroner stated that the care provided was inadequate for the acute and severe nature of his condition.

The Hon. J.D. HILL (Kaurna—Minister for Health and Ageing, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Arts) (15:07): I thank the member for his question. On 29 October the Northern Territory Coroner handed down his finding into the death of Ben Witham. I would like to extend my sincerest sympathies to his family. The facts are, as I understand it, that on 26 April 2011 Mr Witham was transferred from the Royal Darwin Hospital by CareFlight to the Women's and Children's Hospital and admitted to the paediatric care unit in a critically unwell condition.

The Northern Territory Coroner found that Mr Witham was wrongly diagnosed and did not receive the further investigations or surgical review the symptoms demanded. However, the Coroner considered that this does not appear to have arisen from any systemic failing, and he did not make any recommendations to SA Health. The hospital has received the Coroner's findings and is considering them in the ongoing review of the events surrounding Ben's death and his treatment.

SA Health is finalising a new strategy, which includes policy directive guidelines and an education framework to better recognise and manage acute patient deterioration. Six new observation charts have been developed, specifically tailored to meet the needs of different patient groups; of these, four refer to different child age groups. This strategy will be launched next month, December 2012.

The SPEAKER: The Leader of the Opposition.

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