Objective

Objectives

To maintain public awareness, as long as necessary, of the prevalence of medical error.
To expose the worst medical errors through the media.
To keep patients aware of their options should the health system fail them.
To make the medical profession transparent.
To have Australian Bureau of Statistics acknowledge iatrogenesis is a leading cause of death and injury.

Personal contact with our families' support network, the volunteers being loved ones of patients.
Linking families, when appropriate, with other families for mutual support.
Listening to them, understanding their plight, directing them on to a positive path.
Compiling their concerns into constructive reports so the next patients fare better.
Publishing material which shows them practical options before going to hospital and after the occurrence of medical error.

To support positive government initiatives in preventing medical errors.
To encourage accurate reporting of medical errors.
To identify life-threatening weaknesses in hospital systems.
To categorise, set priorities and educate professionals on ways to correct these weaknesses.
To empower patients and their loved ones to prevent medical errors, if they see circumstances arising.

All serious incidents involving iatrogenic injury or death be internally examined at hospital level with a view to identifying factors and implementing counter measures
Accurate internal investigation aimed at identification in all factors with prevention as a goal
Standardised internal investigation systems would be a precursor to establishing an accurate database on preventable iatrogenic death and injury for the health system
A system to ensure exchange of lessons learnt from incident reviews and or inquests or both
Developing a model incident investigation, data collection and dissemination process for all hospitals
Developing a standardised investigation protocol for hospitals for all serious adverse medical events [death or injury]
Any system should also include a data collection and reporting mechanism to ensure any problems identified are disseminated throughout the hospital/medical system in a timely way.
Establish an independent body to consolidate and co-ordinate the many different health industry and medical standards and guidelines into a definitive, objective data collection
and administrative code by which all medical professionals are bound thus minimising litigation associated with medical negligence as the only alternative.
Negligence should be exposed, disciplined and recorded to prevent repeat offences and hard lessons learnt.
Errors, not individuals, should be used as knowledge and shared with all hospital systems to prevent others from making the same mistakes.

When our solutions are heeded, government and society will benefit from:

Hospitals being honest and facing mistakes head-on.
Coroners' recommendations implemented thus preventing more deaths.
Removing the culture of secrecy that is a barrier to a culture of safety.
Keeping lawyers out of hospitals and medicine out of courts.
Sparing families and medical professionals from suffering the drama and wasted effort of legal action.
Concentrating on healing patients and their well-being.
18,000 or more living Australians each year.