2 dead after scheduling issue left hospital with no interventional neuroradiologists on site

Two patients from Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH) in Australia died in April after suffering strokes, and documents now reveal that schedule issues caused significant delays in their care. In each instance, the hospital’s two interventional neuroradiologists had the day off when the patients came in for care, meaning no specialists with proper training were on site. Another specialist was brought in from his own private practice—but not without a long delay in care.

The Advertiser reported Friday that it has seen emails from SA Health officials that prove the hospital knew about the scheduling issue. In one email, an official says the schedule “puts SA Health at extreme medico-legal risk and would be indefensible in the media.”

Coroner Mark Johns read about the deaths and “demanded details,” leading to reports that revealed the delays in care. He then released a public statement on the situation, critiquing SA Health for how it handled the two deaths.

To read The Advertiser’s full report, which explores the controversy from numerous angles, click the below link.