A s.185 (Enterprise agreement) application from the Umoona Tjutagku Health Service Aboriginal Corporation for the Umoona Tjutagku Health Service Aboriginal Corporation Employees Enterprise Agreement 2018 has been approved by Fair Work Deputy President Masson in Melbourne on 2 May 2019.
May 8, 2019
A s.185 (Enterprise agreement) application by Lobethal & District Aged Homes Inc for the Lobethal & District Aged Homes Inc Nursing Employees (Aged Care) Enterprise Agreement 2019 has been approved by Fair Work Deputy President Gostencnik in Melbourne on 2 May 2019.
May 8, 2019
An elderly woman at Flinders Medical Centre died nine days after she was administered the wrong painkillers that were meant for another patient with a similar name in a neighbouring room, an inquest has heard. Janet Ann Cook, 79, was suffering severe medical issues when she was accidentally given hydromorphone at FMC on September 21, 2015. The painkiller was meant for Norma Cock in the room next door but a cascade of errors led to the mistake. Mrs Cook, who was already receiving palliative care for end-stage heart failure, was unconscious two hours later. She was rushed from the cardiac ward to intensive care but died nine days later. Opening the inquiry on Tuesday, counsel assisting Ahura Kalali said an expert report prepared for the coroner indicated that before the medication error, Mrs Cook potentially had weeks to live. “Mrs Cook still had time to live,” Mr Kalali told State Coroner Mark Johns. “Her life was materially shortened by this mistake.” Enrolled nurse Trafford Csorba was grilled for several hours before Mr Johns over his involvement in administering the drug. Mr Csorba was caring for both Mrs Cook and Ms Cock on the day of the accident. Ms Cock was scheduled to receive a tablet of hydromorphone and an intravenous injection of hydrocortisone at midday on September 21. Mr Csorba and registered nurse Michelle Bottger both got the tablet from the medicine room and went to bed 26, instead of bed 28, to administer the drug. Mr Csorba said he was too busy looking at medication forms to realise that Ms Bottger was administering the drug to the wrong patient. When he realised the mistake, Mr Csorba told Ms Bottger who opened the patient’s mouth and unsuccessfully tried to recover the tablet. Over the next hour and a half Mrs Cook’s vital signs dropped and she was rushed to intensive care. Mr Csorba was suspended the next day pending investigations by Flinders Medical Centre and the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency. Mr Csorba told the court he had warned his supervisor at handover that morning that the patient’s names were similar and should be marked for special attention because mistaken identity was a possibility. He said the appropriate warning labels were not attached to the file or on the communal whiteboard specifying which patients were under the care of particular nurses. Ralph Bonig, acting for Ms Bottger, questioned Mr Csorba about his professional history which included disciplinary matters for failing to take observations and incorrectly administering medication. The inquest continues.
May 8, 2019
A state-run mental health service at Glenside has been put on notice and two staff suspended after an inquiry found nurses were relying too heavily on medication, isolation and restraining patients to manage their difficult behaviours. Staff at the 40-bed Glenside Inpatient Rehabilitation Service say they feel they are in “survival mode” at work and are fearful of “aggressive” patients. But some were found to have made disparaging comments about patients with severe mental illness or disability who were “not worth” the effort or cost to rehabilitate. A report released on Tuesday warned there was a big focus on security at the facility but at times it was “not clear whether there were any nurses on the floor”. A lack of training was identified as most nursing staff were unable to “demonstrate any knowledge” of the key methods of their roles. Staff injury rates and mental stress complaints were rising as nurses responded to “the most disabled and disturbed patients”. A “successful day” was described by nurses as “a day when no one gets hurt”. The number of patients fleeing the facility is also the highest in the nation. The unit was built a decade ago and offers long and short-term live-in treatment. Commissioned by the Central Adelaide Local Health Network and conducted by independent investigators, the report makes 30 recommendations, which have all been accepted. Allegations about the behaviour of two workers have been referred to SA Health Human Resources for investigation. Chief Psychiatrist John Brayley has applied conditions on the unit that require “intensive monitoring” by senior health staff and a new oversight committee. The report, which was sparked by complaints from staff, also found: HIGH turnover of staff, who work 12-hour shifts AN average age among nurses of 58 BULLYING among a “small number” of staff “NO clear system” to help staff deal with “high rates” of patients who are drug or alcohol-affected. The report notes that significant changes had already been made at the unit and these would “need to be sustained over a considerable period” to ensure cultural change. Mental Health Nursing co-director Lesley Legg said staff were taking part in new training courses. The facility was still accepting new patients.
May 8, 2019
Former deputy director general of the WA Department of Premier and Cabinet Michelle Andrews has been formally appointed as the new head of the Department of Communities.
May 8, 2019
Skeletal remains found by the bank of a river have been confirmed to be those of a missing retiree who wandered from his NSW nursing home 16 months ago. William Torrens, 75, was first reported missing from a retirement village in Moree on January 5, 2018. Human remains were found by the bank of the Mehi River earlier in the year, but police initially ruled out the possibility they were Torrens’. Further forensic testing determined on Friday they were indeed the pensioners’, bringing the search to a grim end. His death is not being treated as suspicious. Police will now prepare a report for the Coroner.
May 8, 2019
Prue Torrance has been appointed Executive Director, Research Quality and Priorities at the National Health and Medical Research Council. She moves across from the Department of Education and Training, where she has spent the last five years.
May 8, 2019
A Bundaberg woman has lodged a $2m Supreme Court claim against her former employer and a former colleague after an alleged workplace injury.
