Harmed in hospital: 500 errors a record
Thursday, December 21st, 2006ALMOST 500 medical errors in NSW public hospitals either seriously harmed patients or could have done so in 2005-06 – the highest number in the three years the statistics have been collected.
Problems with diagnosis, treatment and specialist referral topped the list of incidents judged to be in the most serious category, followed by 137 suicides that occurred outside hospital within a week of the person having been seen by a mental-health professional.