Blunders kill hundreds in hospitals

By MARTIN JOHNSTON health reporter

Mistakes in hospitals are killing 1500 people a year, research shows.

Of the 3000 deaths caused by medical failure, about half are preventable.

The remaining 1500 are the result of unavoidable complications, according to research due out soon.

The study of public hospitals by the Christchurch Medical School Professor of Public Health, Peter Davis, will give the first picture of New Zealand's failure rate.

Professor Davis said yesterday that his results were in line with Australian research, which showed that 16.6 per cent of hospital patients suffered an "adverse event" (as unintended injuries are known).

Half the incidents were preventable, 4.9 per cent caused death, and 13.7 per cent led to permanent disability.

Preventable errors can be the result of individual negligence or system problems such as misread drug prescriptions. Unavoidable incidents include known complications of operations and drugs.

An Auckland anaesthetist and hospital-safety campaigner, Dr Robin Youngson, calculates, based on the Australian study, that 66,000 patients here could suffer adverse events annually; up to 3250 of them would die and around 9000 would be disabled.

Dr Youngson said mistakes were inevitable but much more should be done to prevent them, such as investing in technology like computerised drug dispensers.

The chief executive of South Auckland Health, David Clarke, said new research in Auckland public hospitals showed that up to 12 per cent of patients suffered medical failures - half in hospitals, the rest in the wider health sector. Half were preventable.

Mr Clarke pleaded for Government money specifically to develop safety systems, but Health Minister Annette King has indicated that none is likely to be allocated.

GPs say the Davis research is badly needed, but warn that while negligence is unacceptable, unexpected mishaps will always occur.

Yesterday, ACC said it was investigating a new levy on doctors, dentists and other registered health professionals to help to pay the $13 million annual cost of medical misadventure, which is now financed by employees and taxpayers.

ACC is grappling with an increase in medical misadventure claims. It resumed reporting suspected negligence by health workers to disciplinary authorities last month.

It is considering whether a new health-worker premium based partly on the medical-misadventure records of individuals would create financial incentives to make them more careful.

The corporation says its move was not directed by the Government.

The last Government chose not to collect the levy - provided for in legislation - saying the medical profession did not support it.

Doctors say the premiums would inevitably be passed on to patients.

ACC spokesman Richard Ninness said many issues were being considered, but no decisions had been made and the health sector would be consulted.

One issue was that if doctors were "penalised for specialising in high-risk areas [such as obstetrics and gynaecology] you may drive them out."

"You wouldn't want people not performing certain types of surgery just because it's more risky, and there's a chance you will have to pay for those costs."

Mr Ninness said doctors pushing boundaries, as in neonatal care, improved patients' survival chances but bore higher risks.