CLAIMS: Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Board chairman Bob Norman
THE Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service has paid out nearly $10 million to victims of medical negligence over the past three years.
Right To Information documents obtained through the Queensland Treasury reveal Cairns has had one of the state’s highest payouts, resulting from about 25 incidents of medical errors and service mishaps since 2011. There were 14 claims settled in Cairns in 2013/14, totalling nearly $3.4 million.
This was a threefold increase on the fewer than five claims settled in 2011-12, which resulted in a total payout of $445,000.
There was also close to $5.9 million paid out to seven claims in 2012-13.
At the Cape York Hospital and Health Service, there have been fewer than five claims settled, resulting in payments totalling $25,000.
In Townsville, there were 28 incidents where more than $10 million in compensation was awarded.
This included the Townsville Hospital and Health Service paying out $3.5 million in 2011-12, another $4.6 million the following year and $2.1 million in the last financial year.
Only the Metro North and Metro South health services in Brisbane had more incidents.
Each settlement has been paid out through the State Government’s insurance fund.
Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Board chairman Bob Norman said the increased number of claims demonstrated the health service was resolving them in a timely manner wherever possible.
“The health service provided 283,257 occasions of service during the 2013-14 financial year – not including an additional 132,569 presentations to emergency departments,’’ he said.
“It is unreasonable to think that with this level of activity there won’t be claims made against the health service.”
The health service did not respond to questions about the nature of the payouts.
However the RTI documents show a majority of statewide claims originated out of complaints about care and treatment received at accident and emergency, general surgery and obstetrics services.
Mr Norman said there were proven systems in place across the Cairns and Hinterland health service region to ensure patients received top quality health care, including regular audits and strict accreditation protocols.
A report released late last year showed the number of Far Northern patients complaining about the health care they received had increased three years in a row.
The Health Quality and Complaints Commission (HQCC) report showed 4.5 per cent of the complaints about health care in Queensland originated in the Far North, lower than other regional centres including Townsville and the Gold Coast.
The HQCC has ceased operations as of June 30 this year, with its duties taken over by the Office of the Health Ombudsman (OHO).
The most recent figures from the OHO show 621 complaints were lodged with the office since it commenced operations on July 1.