No disciplinary action should be taken over the death of a Brisbane man who had been administered lethal levels of morphine in a hospital, a Queensland coroner has recommended. Michael Calder, 33, died in Holy Spirit Northside Private Hospital at Chermside in July 2014, days after being admitted for a severe headache. Lawyers representing Mr Calder told a coronial inquest that an autopsy found he had lethal levels of morphine in his blood. Dr Robert Brockett, who treated Mr Calder, told the inquest he was horrified at the amount of morphine in Mr Calder’s blood, as revealed in a subsequent toxicology report. Deputy coroner John Lock found the hospital and treating doctor had already implemented significant improvements and recommended no further changes were necessary. The matter has been referred to the health ombudsmen. The inquest earlier this month heard there were inconsistencies in nurses’ records about how much pain Mr Calder was in and that, at one stage, he was given morphine shortly after it was recorded he had no pain. Nurses on a shift the night before he died also failed to record observations of Mr Calder’s oxygen, but they insisted they would have recorded the levels if they had been a concern. Mr Calder was given oxycontin, multiple doses of ordine — a type of morphine — and ibuprofen across one nursing shift. His partner, Andrea Young, spoke outside the court after the coroner handed down his findings.
September 2, 2016
Baxter Healthcare Pty Ltd is again in the firing line as a s.739 (Application to deal with a dispute) instigated by Holm drags on into its second hearing day.
September 2, 2016
The Australian Medical Association (Victoria) Limited is enmeshed in a s.372 (Application to deal with other contravention disputes) at the instigation of a staffer (Russell).
September 2, 2016
Queensland Urban Utilities (QUU) CIO, Nina Du Thaler, is leaving the water utilities industry after four years and has accepted a new role as group executive, digital and technology at Uniting Care Qld.
September 2, 2016
An application for approval of the Boroondara City Council Nurses Employees’ Agreement No *, 2016 (s.185 – Application for approval of a single-enterprise agreement) sits on the desk of Commissioner Harper-Greenwell in his Melbourne chambers.
September 2, 2016
Stockland says chairman Graham Bradley will retire at the group’s annual meeting in October, after serving in the position for 11 years. He will be replaced by former Woolworths chief financial officer Tom Pockett, who joined the Stockland board in September 2014.
September 2, 2016
The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation and Allity Management Services Pty Ltd are debating a s.739 (Application to deal with a dispute) in Adelaide.
September 2, 2016
The failure to remove an 84-year-old woman’s bed pole in the lead up to her death at a Hobart nursing home was a “failure of the highest magnitude”, a Tasmanian coroner has found. Barbara Westcott died at Vaucluse Gardens Aged Care facility in March 2012. She was found by an extended care assistant in a building called The Manor about 11:30pm on March 31, lying face down with her head and neck stuck between her mattress and bed pole, and with her knees on the floor. A bed pole is a device that helps patients get in and out of bed. A post-mortem examination determined Ms Westcott had died of position asphyxia, or suffocation. In her report, Coroner Olivia McTaggart found there were “multiple, obvious opportunities to take action that could have prevented Mrs Westcott’s death”. She found Vaucluse Gardens was notified there were dangers associated with bed poles in June 2010. There have had been two interstate coronial decisions, in 2010 and 2011, that warned against the use of bed poles for those with limited mobility and staff at Vaucluse Gardens had been emailed the warning information. Outside the court, Mrs Westcott’s daughter Judy James said her mother’s death was preventable. “This is the third time that this has happened Australia-wide since an alert went out,” she said. “It would be nice for us as a family to have an actual apology from Vaucluse Gardens. We’ve never heard anything.” CEO of Baldwin Care Group Paul Burkett, which manages Vaucluse Gardens, said he was reviewing the coroner’s report and would respond to the findings in coming days.
