Victoria
Mildura hospital reviews triage processes after patient death
A Mildura hospital has launched a review after the state opposition claimed a forgotten paper referral led to a patient's death.
A hospital in Mildura is conducting an urgent review of its administrative and triage processes following reports that delays, linked to a reliance on paper records, led to the death of a patient. The incident has prompted serious concerns about patient safety in regional Victoria.
According to reporting by a wire service, the Victorian shadow minister stated that a forgotten referral was the direct cause of the patient's death. The opposition has criticised the state's regional healthcare system, pointing to the facility's continued dependence on physical paperwork as a key factor in the fatal delay.
The precise details surrounding the incident remain limited. It has not yet been confirmed which specific healthcare facility in the Mildura region is responsible, nor have authorities released the identity, age, or medical condition of the patient who died. The exact timeline of when the referral was made and subsequently misplaced also remains undisclosed.
The hospital management is now undertaking an internal review to investigate how patient records and referrals are handled. The inquiry will focus on triage delays and the risks associated with non-digital record-keeping systems in busy regional clinics. The case highlights broader, ongoing concerns regarding the slow pace of digital technology adoption in rural Victorian hospitals, where staff often remain reliant on manual administrative systems.
Observers will be watching to see if the Victorian Government or regional health authorities announce funding to accelerate the transition to digital medical records at the Mildura facility following the completion of the review.
This report draws on original reporting by Wire report.
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