South Australia’s Crown Solicitor will investigate false claims by the state Opposition about a hospital patient’s death which disrupted her funeral arrangements.
The Opposition last week claimed an 86-year-old woman had died at Noarlunga Hospital in Adelaide’s south in “disturbing circumstances,” with overcrowding preventing a transfer to Flinders Medical Centre.
But the woman’s son hit back, saying that her death had nothing to do with overcrowding and the Opposition’s interference had forced the Coroner to re-open her case file, delaying the woman’s funeral.
The woman’s grieving family was told on Thursday that her funeral could proceed as planned after several hours in limbo.
Health Minister Jack Snelling said in a statement today would ask SA Health to refer the bungle to the Crown Solicitor for an independent investigation.
The woman’s family deserved answers, he said, and the Opposition had refused to reveal the source of the incorrect information.
“The leaking of this incorrect information nearly caused this person’s funeral to be delayed, causing untold grief to her family at what was obviously a difficult time,” he said on Wednesday.
“I made an undertaking to the family that this will be followed up and that is what we will do.”
The claims were initially raised in a statement last Wednesday by Opposition health spokesman Stephen Wade, and repeated in parliament later that day by Opposition Leader Steven Marshall.
Both men have since apologised, but Wade has resisted calls by the government to resign over the bungle.
Snelling and the Government have been working to keep the issue on the media agenda.
News of the Crown Solicitor’s investigation was apparently “dropped” to The Advertiser today before a statement was released to all media in time for breakfast radio at 6am.
The Opposition’s mistake came after the Government had been on the back foot over hospital crowding for several weeks.
The Coroner’s re-opening of this case also followed news that the death of a Royal Adelaide Hospital patient was the subject of a Coronial investigation.
Doctors linked the RAH death to overcrowding.
– with AAP
