OVER 3000 patients were reviewed in an investigation into Redland Hospital’s endoscopy services dating back 16 years.
Last Friday, Queensland Health released a summary report and recommendations from part of the health service investigation focusing on the standard of endoscopies performed by two doctors and the clinical management of bowel-related procedures by one of those doctors between 2008 and 2018.
Queensland Health Director-General Michael Walsh said the investigation was commissioned in May 2020 after concerns about the care provided by the doctors prompted over 3000 of their patients to be reviewed.
“The investigation has found that the care provided to 73 patients … fell below clinically acceptable standards,” Mr Walsh said.
“Since receiving the report, the clinical analysis of these 73 patients has identified 12 people who may have lived longer if their care had been of the acceptable standard.
“The two doctors no longer work for Queensland Health.”
The report made 37 recommendations addressing a range of clinical and operational matters identified during the investigation, all of which have been accepted.
Queensland Health also released its response to the recommendations, of which more than three-quarters have been implemented, with the others underway.
The investigation found those 73 patients received care that fell below clinically acceptable standards, with issues ranging from poor bowel preparation and lack of follow-up care to inadequate management of consent processes, and insufficient documentation of procedures.
“Although some of them have been in contact since 2020, Metro South Health will be in contact with all affected patients to follow up the findings of this report,” Mr Walsh said.
“It is clear that the health system let these people down.
“I would like to offer my sincere apologies to the patients and their families who received below-standard care.
“While we cannot undo the harm caused, we owe it to those impacted by the substandard level of care and those coming into our care to do as much as we can to prevent this from happening again.”
Mr Walsh outlined several factors contributing to the length of time for the investigation to be finalised, which included the need for a detailed case review to be completed, the time required to examine cases over a 10-year period, interruptions due to the pandemic, and the availability of investigators.
He said Queensland Health was expecting to receive compensation claims and would endeavour to ensure any claims made were expedited where possible.
“This includes ensuring any statute of limitation issues are not a barrier to compensation claims being made,” Mr Walsh added.
“All claims will be assessed on a case by case basis in a supportive way acknowledging the unique circumstances of each patient and their families.”
Fact box:
The report found several factors which contributed to the patients receiving care that was below the expected standard and provided recommendations to:
- strengthen a number of processes including supporting ongoing maintenance of endoscopy skills for staff;
- promote a transparent reporting and quality improvement culture;
- re-design credentialling committee documentation to better capture the outcomes of credentialling committee meetings;
- strengthen clinician performance appraisal processes where concerns have been identified;
