BENDIGO Hospital has apologised for “an appalling error of judgement” where a 92-year-old woman was left outside in the cold for nearly an hour on Friday night.
Hospital chief executive John Mulder said the wheelchair-bound woman arrived at the hospital in central Victoria about 10pm (AEST) where she underwent tests for a heart condition.
About 12.10am (AEST) the woman was declared fit to be sent home and asked for a taxi to be called. Mr Mulder said the patient waited for 45 minutes outside the hospital. But a passerby luckily noticed her sitting in the dark, the woman’s son “Glen” told Fairfax Radio.
“Apparently a young lad, perhaps mid to late teens, just happened to be walking past and mum was able to yell out to him, so he came over the help,” Glen said. “He then rang a taxi and that’s how she got home.” The Bureau of Meteorology said the temperature dropped to 12 degrees in Bendigo late on Friday.
“For some unknown reason the nurse who was caring for the patient wheeled the patient outside of the department and then came back inside and left the patient there,” Mr Mulder said. “We’ve spoken to the staff member concerned, she’s horrified with the outcome.” The Division One nurse was experienced and had worked in the hospital’s emergency department “for some time”, he said.
“On the facts it appears to be an appalling error of judgement,” Mr Mulder said. “We don’t know why protocol wasn’t followed but we’ll do everything within our power to make sure this never happens again.” The hospital will investigate the error and has personally apologised to the patient, Mr Muldersaid.
Premier John Brumby said the case was completely unacceptable. “I don’t know the circumstances, I don’t know in a sense who’s to blame, but in a sense that’s irrelevant, that’s not the point,” he said. “The point is that you’ve had an elderly lady who’s quite frail and she’s waited out there in what have been some pretty cold nights.”
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