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Resident doctors have called for more stringent handover procedures between shifts to ensure patient information is transferred accurately to the oncoming medical team.
The information exchanged between outgoing shift workers and their replacements is vital to patients' health, the NZ Resident Doctors Association said yesterday.
The request comes after a report from the Health and Disability Commissioner found poor communication, documentation, and monitoring at Wellington Hospital contributed to the death of a man in 2004.
The report, released last month, found simple procedures could have saved the patient, who died 40 hours after admission to the hospital with classic signs of a chest infection.
In his report, Health and Disability Commissioner Ron Paterson found clinical staff provided a poor standard of care before and after the chest infection was diagnosed.
There was inadequate communication, documentation and monitoring of the patient's condition, the report said.
The association that represents resident doctors, said some hospital procedures were inadequate and required revision.
Medical handovers occurred several times during a working week between shifts.
"Ineffective handover can lead to incorrect treatment, delays in diagnosis and increased length of stay," the association's national president Dr Deralie Flower said.
She said clinical handover procedures should be a priority.
"Medical handover is a critical part of the day for hospitals.
"The information transferred from one medical team to another can determine what type of treatment that patient receives for the rest of the working day, night or weekend.
"We cannot afford to let information fall through the cracks. Lapses in information handover can lead to mistakes being made. Both resident doctors and DHBs need to ensure our systems are robust."
- NZPA
