Patient safety, drug management, under investigation at Bundaberg Hospital
Richard Dinnen - Queensland Editor |
Queensland Health has announced an investigation into medication management and patient safety in medical wards at Bundaberg Hospital.
The investigation will look at claims made by patient advocates since an internal review by the Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service last year.
Queensland Health Acting Director-General, Shaun Drummond, said he had decided to commission a Clinical Review and Health Service Investigation.
“To date, there has been no confirmed substantial evidence of patient harm or death regarding these serious allegations.
“While no substantial evidence has been found, the Department will further investigate the claims that have been made.
“It would be remiss of us to not work together to better understand if there are systematic issues that can be addressed after these claims were brought to light.”
Last year, a Bundaberg Hospital nurse was dismissed after administering an anti-psychotic drug without clinical need, and without recording it on the patient’s chart.
In June this year, Hospital Chief Executive, Debbie Carroll, announced disciplinary action against four nurses over two separate incidents in which drugs were mishandled.
Bundaberg Hospital was at the centre of two royal commissions investigating the deaths of patients treated by surgeon, Jayant Patel.
Mr Patel served time in prison for the deaths of three people during his time as a surgeon in Bundaberg and was the subject of disciplinary action by the Medical Board of Australia and the Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.
