It’s no secret medical staff are often stretched at Shoalhaven Hospital. There’s also no doubt that in the vast majority of cases the care they dispense is first-rate. So when something goes tragically wrong – as it did with the diagnosis of Kyran Day – it’s imperative the circumstances are reviewed and steps taken to ensure similar lapses do not recur.
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The Days’ campaign to ensure Kyran’s death has a positive legacy – a chance for the concerns of parents about diagnosis to be heard – is totally understandable.
They want what they are calling Kyran’s Rule based on Ryan’s Rule – a Queensland protocol that allows people who don’t believe their health concerns are being taken seriously to call in extra help.
They have been pushing relentlessly over the past three years for their son’s death to result in changes in the health system. They say they are motivated by the best of intentions, to give families a voice when they question the treatment or diagnosis of their children.
The Days recognise – as all of us do – that there are great doctors and nurses in the hospital system in NSW. However, they are also painfully aware that when the pressure is on and the medical staff is run off its feet, as it so often is in regional hospitals, the chances of misdiagnosis are ever-present.
Their campaign is an important one. The pain these young parents have endured in losing a child in circumstances that could have been prevented is unimaginable. It’s made worse by the fact Kyran’s grandmother, who happened to have been a nurse, was present at the hospital when the child was admitted and raised alarm at his deteriorating condition. By the time her concerns were escalated and a transfer to another hospital arranged, it was too late.
The coronial inquest into the circumstances surrounding Kyran’s death are still under way but that doesn’t mean there is time to wait for Kyran’s Rule to be implemented formally in the hospital system.
Doctors and nurses do a wonderful job. They are highly trained and motivated. But they are not gods. They are humans and humans make mistakes, especially when they are under extreme pressure. When tiny lives are in their hands and parents suspect the treatment is not working and their child’s condition is worsening, the very least they should expect is the right to seek a second opinion.
We agree with the Days. If their campaign can save one life, it’s worthy.
