The South Australian Coroner has published (on the SA Courts site) findings in the Inquest into the death of Gayle Elizabeth Woodford, a registered nurse who was killed while on call in the APY lands of South Australia. The Coroner made a number of recommendations. In relation to health practitioners the recommendations were:
- Notwithstanding the requirements contained within the relevant provisions of the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (South Australia) Act 2010 and the Regulations made thereunder (Gayle’s Law), that the NHC establishes processes to ensure that its health practitioners are accompanied by a responsible person en route on any callout regardless of the time of day or night.
- The Executive Director and Medical Director of the NHC if necessary amend their policies and guidelines to ensure that presentations of persons seeking the services of health practitioners employed by the NHC in remote areas are not made in person by a direct approach to the home address of the health practitioner.
- That in any review of the operation of the relevant provisions of the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (South Australia) Act 2010 and the Regulations made thereunder as they apply to health practitioners providing services in remote areas of South Australia, that consideration be given to clarifying whether the requirements in respect of a second responder should apply to presentations by a patient to the home of the health practitioner. The other matter that should be considered in any such review is whether health practitioners should be accompanied by the second responder during any journey to the location where the health service is to be provided.