Sep 2
Posted by Nancy Lentz in Alcohol, Case Law, Health Law, Western Australian Health Services | Comments off
ABC News, AP, 2 September 2010
“The WA government is considering adopting a drinker identification scheme similar to that implemented in the Northern Territory. Yesterday, the NT government announced it is rolling out a banned drinker register which allows special drink courts to ban a person from puchasing liquor for one year.”
Find article here.
Aug 23
Posted by Edwina Light in Case Law, Elder Care, Substitute Decision-Making, Western Australian Health Services | Comments off
Health Alert, DLA Phillips Fox, 23 August 2010
“The represented person had advanced dementia and was a resident in a nursing home. Her daughter had been appointed as her guardian. The daughter had been banned from the nursing home where her mother lived and the WA Administrative Tribunal found that the relationship between the daughter and the nursing home had completely broken down. The tribunal found that the daughter could not perform her function as an objective guardian to consent to medical treatment on her mother’s behalf. The Tribunal appointed the Public Advocate as an independent Guardian.”
Find full case summary and link to decision here.
Aug 23
Posted by Edwina Light in Case Law, South Australian Health Services, Substitute Decision-Making, Western Australian Health Services | Comments off
Health Alert, DLA Phillips Fox, 23 August 2010
“A person who was under a guardianship order in South Australia travelled to Western Australia for medical treatment of her foot. The Public Advocate applied for the appointment of a guardian in Western Australia to assist while the represented person was resident there. The tribunal found that the woman was a person for whom a guardian could be appointed, as she was unable to make reasonable judgments about her person. However the tribunal was not satisfied of the need for a guardian in Western Australia because A South Australian guardianship order is recognised in Western Australia under the Western Australian Guardianship and Administration Act 1990.”
Find full case summary and link to decision here.
Aug 22
Posted by Nancy Lentz in Clinical Ethics, Safety, Western Australian Health Services | Comments off
ABC News, AP, 22 August 2010
“The West Australian branch of the Australian Medical Association (AMA) says the State Government needs to make sure doctors are not overworked while attempting to meet the four hour rule. A number of health workers have reported to the AMA that young doctors are using energy drinks and caffeine pills to stay awake while working extended hours.”
Find article here.
Aug 15
Posted by Nancy Lentz in Children, Health information and education, Internet, Western Australian Health Services | Comments off
WA Health Media Releases 13 August 2010
“The Department of Health has launched a new website as a one-stop information point for new and expecting parents across the State. The website at www.health.wa.gov.au/havingababy has been designed specifically for WA parents and contains information about every stage of maternity care. The site contains a comprehensive range of information to help prepare for pregnancy, being pregnant, labour and birth and after their baby is born. Women and their families can also access details about care options, support organisations, Aboriginal resources, information in other languages and links to many other relevant sources and facts.”
Find article here.
Aug 14
Posted by Nancy Lentz in Addictions, Death, Health Law, New Legislation, Rural Health, Safety, Western Australian Health Services | Comments off
The Australian, By Debbie Guest, 13 August 2010
“The West Australian government is calling for federal laws that would force service stations to sell non-sniffable Opal fuel. This follows the suspected petrol-sniffing-related death of a Kimberley teenager. The 18-year-old male’s body was found on the outskirts of Halls Creek last month in an area where old machinery was dumped. A known sniffer, he was believed to have been siphoning petrol from the machinery.”
Find article here.
Aug 2
Posted by Edwina Light in Children, National Health Services, Safety, Western Australian Health Services | Comments off
MJA 2010; 193 (3): 142-145
Authors: Melissa O’Donnell, Natasha Nassar, Helen M Leonard, Richard P Mathews, Yvonne G Patterson and Fiona J Stanley
“There are concerns about increasing rates of child maltreatment in Australia, with a 50% increase in notifications from the financial years 2002–03 to 2006–07, and a 45% increase in substantiated notifications. …Hospitals play an important role in identifying and treating suspected non-accidental injuries and reporting them to child protection agencies.
“To date, no studies in Australia have investigated whether children presenting to hospitals with suspected maltreatment are being notified to child protection agencies, and the outcome of such notifications. …Our aim in this study was to determine the extent to which children with hospital admissions related to assault or maltreatment or a notified sexually transmitted infection (STI) have subsequent contact with child protection agencies. We also investigated specific injuries often associated with child maltreatment.”
Find article here.
Jul 5
Posted by Edwina Light in Case Law, Negligence, Western Australian Health Services | Comments off
Court of Appeal of Western Australia, Owen & Newnes JJA; Jenkins J 30/6/2010
“Negligence – Medical negligence – Appellant attended emergency department with stomach pain – Discharged after analgesics administered – Appellant alleged respondent negligent in failing to diagnose pneumonia – Appellant alleged pneumonia caused subsequent sepsis – Claim that appellant had pneumonia not made out – Respondent found negligent for failing to keep appellant under observation in emergency department until his illness diagnosed – Not the case appellant relied on at trial – Finding not open to trial judge – Turns on own facts”
Find decision here.
Jun 25
Posted by Nancy Lentz in Best Interests, Case Law, Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Death, Health information and education, Western Australian Health Services | Comments off
ABC News, AP, 24 June 2010
“The Coroner has been examining the case of Doctor Dingle’s wife, Penelope, who used homeothapy and nutritional supplements to treat rectal cancer. During the inquest, it was alleged Doctor Dingle and the homeopath, Francine Scrayen, had misled Mrs Dingle into believing the therapies could cure her. In submissions today, counsel assisting the inquest said the evidence suggested Doctor Dingle and Mrs Scrayen had cooperated in their treatment of Mrs Dingle.”
Find article here.
May 3
Posted by Edwina Light in Mental Illness, Preventative care, Public Health, Western Australian Health Services | Comments off
MJA/AMA statement, 2 May 2010
“Homeless people with mental illness lack access to primary care and seldom visit a GP at all, according to research published in the Medical Journal of Australia. Dr Qun Mai and her co-authors from The University of Western Australia conducted a retrospective cohort study of 204,727 users and 294,076 matched non-users of mental health services in WA from 1 January 1990 to 30 June 2006. They found that users of mental health services visited GPs significantly more often than non-users, with an overall adjusted rate ratio (ARR) of visits to GPs in this group of 1.622. … However, a notable exception to the general pattern of results was observed in the four per cent of users of mental health services with no fixed address, with an ARR of visits to GPs in this group of just 0.058.
“This subgroup seldom visited a GP at all,” Dr Mai said.”
Find full media release here and MJA article here.
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