The death of an elderly hospital patient killed in a head-on crash while driving himself to another hospital has raised questions about how patient transfers are handled in South Australia’s health system. The Riverland man, 72, was admitted to the Renmark Paringa District Hospital in October and was later released into the care of his wife to travel to the Riverland General Hospital at Berri for medical scans. He died when his ute collided with a truck on the Sturt Highway, while driving himself between hospitals for the scans on October 18. The Ambulance Employees Association’s secretary Phil Palmer said his members had confirmed the man was due to receive head scans before he died.
