Medical Negligence Patient Safety Undefined Notifiable Incident
A notifiable medical incident involving a fall related injury in a healthcare facility.
John Whelan Solicitor with specialist expertise in Medical Negligence and Patient Safety give an example of a case which falls outside the definition of a Notifiable Incident as envisaged by the Patient Safety Act 2023.
There are 13 Notifiable Incidents set out in the Act but other notifiable incidents may be introduced by Ministerial regulation under Section 8 of the Act.
A notifiable Incident involving a fall related injury in a healthcare facility occurs when a Patient sustains an injury due to a fall within the hospital or clinic. Falls can lead to serious complications, especially in vulnerable Patients, and are often preventable with property precautions and monitoring.
Example: Fall Related Injury in a Long Term Care Facility
An 82 year old Patient with dementia and a history of chronic osteoporosis is admitted to a long term care facility for rehabilitation following hip surgery. The Patient is at high risk for falls due to the Patients cognitive impairment, limited mobility, and weakened bones. Despite this, the Patient is not placed in a bed with side rails or fitted with a fall alarm device to alert staff if the Patient attempts to get out of bed unassisted.
One night, the Patient tries to get out of bed to use the bathroom but loses balance and falls to the floor. The fall results in a fractured wrist and significant bruising. The Patient is in severe pain and requires immediate treatment and stabilisation.
The healthcare team failed to implement key fall prevention strategies, despite the Patient being identified as high risk for falls. The facility's standard procedures for monitoring high risk Patients and providing assistive devices (e.g., bed alarms, fall mats) were not followed. Additionally, staff did not perform the necessary safety checks during the night shift, leaving the patient unmonitored in a high risk situation.
For more detailed insights into how the Patient Safety Act 2023 impacts you and how Whelan Law can support you, please visit our Patient Safety Rights Legal Advice https://www.whelanlaw.ie/news/medical-negligence-and-patient-safety/