Coroner Criticises Hospital Systems

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30428, 30 April 1964, Page 8

Coroner Criticises Hospital Systems

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, April 29.

A hospital’s system of identification of patients, and its co-operation with police inquiring into the death of a patient, were criticised by the Coroner in Wellington yesterday.

Mr L. H. Herd criticised New Plymouth Hospital in riders he added to a verdict into the death at Wellington Hospital of Leslie Cecil Clark, who was found to have died because of renal failure after a transfusion of incompatible blood.

Incompatibility resulted from a sample of blood having been taken from another patient of the same name (spelt Clarke) in the same ward in New Plymouth Hospital. . This patient was mistaken for the deceased. Dr. J. O. Mercer, senior pathologist at Wellington Hospital, said he conducted a post-mortem of the deceased His findings were entirely consistent with renal failure due to incompatible blood. Delivering his verdict, the Coroner said the New Ply-, mouth Hospital had refused to

allow police officers, carrying out. their duties under the Coroners’ Act, to interview witnesses, and instead had instructed its solicitor to prepare statements from the persons concerned.

These statements were handed to the police, who had no opportunity themselves to examine the witnesses. The Coroner said he viewed the practice as improper, particularly where a hospital authority was itself involved. He proposed to make representations to the Department of Justice.

Mr J. T. Eichelbaum, for the Taranaki Hospital Board, said the board did not consider it had acted improperly in its dealings with the police.

The Coroner also criticised the hospital’s system of identifying patients.