DOCTORS REFORM SOCIETY

DRS

Media Release

Wednesday, 11 July 2007

 

Politicians Ignore Patient Deaths In Hospitals

 

 “In 1996 it was revealed that at least 4500 prevdeaths per year occurred in public and private hospitals,” said Dr Tim Woodruff, President, Doctors Reform Society. “That’s the equivalent of 10 jumbo jets crashing with all lives lost every year. Those numbers would have grounded the airlines.”

“For the hospitals it has meant minimal changes over 11 years because it’s simply not taken seriously enough by politicians, said Dr Woodruff. “State public hospitals are doing small programs looking at the most obvious major mistakes and learning from these mistakes. They pick up only the most obvious.”

“The barriers to addressing this issue include a and a complete failure of the Federal Government to look at a no fault medical indemnity scheme to address the major issue of medical staff disclosing problems when they do occur, said Dr Woodruff. In addition, a lack of State and Federal Government commitment to resource the problem at the hospital level continues in the under-resourced hospitals desperately coping with huge waiting lists.”

“Until there is political will at the highest level,” said Dr Woodruff, “the jumbo jets will keep on crashing.”