MISTAKES, mismanagement and other medical mishaps in the Hunter New England region have cost an average half a million dollars across 20 different injury types. $ 0 / (min cost $ 0 ) Login or signup to continue reading The highest average payment of $2.4 million went to patients with nursing care-related claims in the three years to the end of 2022.
The data, obtained exclusively by the Newcastle Herald , includes details of 209 medical negligence claims finalised during that time. The top three largest average payout figures were categorised variously as nursing care ($2.4 million), delayed diagnosis ($1.
7 million) and infection ($700,531). Traumatic brain injuries were the next most expensive, with the average claim paid out reaching $668,800, followed by obstetrics, with an average damages payout of close to $6K for successful claims. The lowest average claims were paid to people falling into the 'traumatic amputation' category ($75K), patients with abrasions ($92K), and those treated for contusion or crush injuries ($125K).
Hunter New England Health (HNEH) has refused to make public the total cost of claims made. In refusing to release those figures under Government Information Public Access legislation, the acting director of Internal Audit and Corporate Governance and Right to Information Officer, Nicole Taylor, cited privacy concerns. Instead, she said, she would provide the number of payouts, "without revealing confidential information" about the incidents.
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