In a very special edition of 60 Minutes, Liz Hayes reports on what is the most important, and personal, story of her career.
However, it’s also a story that in modern Australia she shouldn’t need to tell.
It’s about decent people in the country who are dying because of a rural health system that’s broken and failing them.
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They are people like Liz’s precious dad. For many years Bryan Ryan was a farmer who lived near Taree, north of Newcastle in NSW.
He was 88 years old when he died a year ago, but it’s highly likely he’d still be alive today if not for a catastrophic medical error that occurred while he was being treated in the rural health system.
As Liz reveals, what happened to her dad, Bryan Ryan, is inexcusable but it’s just one of many cases that are as heart-breaking as they are tragic.
Reporter: Liz Hayes
Producers: Gareth Harvey, Natalie Clancy
60 MINUTES – SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, AT 8.30PM ON NINE & 9NOW
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Hi Liz
It is not only in country towns, this happened to my mum, whilst in 3 weeks respite care in a city nursing home, only last year. She was well when I put her in for respite thinking they would take good care of her, but they dropped the ball and mismanaged her medication and care and within 2 weeks she was in hospital dying and past away 1 week later at home. No one seems to be accountable and I have followed every avenue, aged care complaints, HCCC.
Have lots of documentation to support my complaints, if you are interested. Mum should not have died in that short space of time.
Marie
I fought for both my parents.
And as an RN I was absolutely outraged by their treatment
My sister walked into Taree Hospital and was dead 1 hour later. She was 55 years old. She had been recovering at home from have an operation for Tachycardia Performed at John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle.
I believe she was given a drug for a breathing problem that caused her to be depleted of Potassium which causes the heart to go out of control. Unfortunately family have no say with legal things if they have a partner and he told them he didn’t want an autopsy and turned her life support off before her family could get there from Sydney.
I was so gutted to lose my baby sister that we let it all go as nothing would bring her back. I have no doubt Taree Hospital killed my sister.
My Mum Died at 42. My Dad always said, Doctors bury their mistakes…
My father phoned for help having suffered an on set of a heart attack. Was taken to Orange Hospital and given a drug to stop heart attack which causes bleeding which causes stroke. My father had a history of stroke and died shortly of severe bleeding on the brain.
Liz Hayes’s comment resonated with me. ‘A voice inside kept saying this is wrong’
I’m sorry to hear about this story and of others who have lost their loved ones unnecessarily.
What on earth is going on with our hospitals? Just can’t trust anymore.
Lynn
Oh wow…. 20 years ago my dad died too! Because of our local country hospital being a learning hospital would not push him on to a city hospital and they just kept guessing day after day!!
And… the stories are ongoing! It is still happening in our local hospital.
🙁
From my sad experience of the rural health system, think twice before you consider a tree change.
Hi Liz
I agree with you Liz I will not let this issue rest, I have paperwork from nursing home and things do not match up regarding my mothers medications. But I do not know where to go from here. Have paperwork from aged care complaints and HCCC.
Can you please help me.
Thanks again Marie.
The Port McQuarie base hospital is supposed to be a model for rural hospitals it is most certainly not the attitude of some of the staff has caused distress with a member of my family after having an amputation also the John Hunter Hospital team failed to address the situation which led to going to ED at Port Macquarie a long ongoing treatment. I know 1st hand of the non support of government to rural hospitals. Shame on those responsible for not adminstering the proper care
I feel for those who have & are experiencing problems with the health system including Mental health
My Mum is 82 and lived a wonderful full life in the Goldfields. She never received the correct treatment in hospital despite multiple warning signs of further problems one doctor even admitting she had no protection of a serious stroke stroke just days before one happened. Mum now has serious brain damage cannot speak, read or write or care for herself due to the hospital and doctors not providing proper care.
I have lost my Mum and have to live with this every day.
60 minutes Please email me on [email protected] as our case is the same and we are actually going to court over the mistreatments of my elderly mother. About time the Government start doing their job properly and transparent and fair to our most vulnerable citizens. I too wrote to all our Prime Ministers, our Premier, All Ombudsman’s Federal State Mental Health and Aged including Local Members who all totally ignored us. About time these people be held accountable. Our case is now going to court.
My mum’s case is the post girl on what you don’t do to human beings and sole Carer. Thank you for opening this topic up, as it needed to be told.
I have had two bad experiences at Mayo Private. The first, when I aspirated into my lungs while in recovery. I was left on my back with my head down, instead of on my side. The second, when I was given a blood transfusion which lead to a pleural effusion, which I am still suffering from three and a half years later.
The confusion and lack of communication between staff is unconscionable.