Investigation under way after 150 referrals were forgotten in cardboard boxes
A Victorian hospital is under investigation after 150 critical patient referrals were left in cardboard boxes for up to 16 months. The administrative failure resulted in at least one death and one terminal diagnosis among patients awaiting diagnostic tests.
Why it matters
This incident highlights the dangerous consequences of relying on outdated paper-based record systems in modern healthcare settings.
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Share A A A A cancer patient has died and another is terminal after a Victorian hospital, still reliant on paper records, failed to triage 150 critical referrals left sitting in cardboard boxes for up to 16 months.
Mildura Base Public Hospital has reported the sentinel events to the state’s health watchdog, Safer Care Victoria, and is undertaking its own investigation into the lengthy and potentially fatal delays.
Mildura Base Public Hospital Ben Gross The delays involve dozens of patients with cancer symptoms who need colonoscopies and other diagnostic tests, as well as patients requiring treatment for confirmed skin cancers.
The situation highlights a broader issue plaguing many regional and rural hospitals, where outdated paper records and manual sorting are still used despite repeated calls from doctors’ groups for digital upgrades.
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