Hospital-acquired infections are the biggest cause of clinical incidents, resulting in four deaths in 2022-23.

Infection control breaches at WA hospitals were the biggest cause of serious clinical incidents in 2022-23, according to WA Health. They accounted for 141 incidents “that have, or could have, caused serious harm or death; and which are attributed to health care provision (or lack thereof) rather than the patient’s underlying condition or illness.” In four cases, patients died. In another 100 cases they suffered serious harm. From July 2022 to June 2023, more than 270,000 people received inpatient care in WA’s public hospitals. During the year, 1811 infection control incidents were notified. Of these, 8.1 per cent were in the most serious category. “The most frequently identified issue in these incidents related to contamination and breach in sterile techniques,” the annual report stated. WA Health Consumers’ Council executive director Clare Mullen said patients have a right to receive high quality care that meets national standards, and to have any safety concerns they raise to be addressed promptly. “While many staff do the right thing, it’s simply unacceptable that perfectly reasonable requests from patients and family members for recommended infection control measures to be followed are dismissed,” she told The Sunday Times. “The latest guidelines from the Australian Safety and Quality in Healthcare Commission on preventing healthcare acquired infections state that patients should be told it is okay to question a healthcare worker about whether they should be using protective personal equipment or whether they are using it properly. “Many people have a positive experience in hospital, but unfortunately too many people have traumatic experiences, where the distress about the experience they’ve had adds to and extends the grief they are experiencing from the loss of a loved one. “Health Consumers’ Council’s independent advocacy service can provide additional back up for people in these circumstances to get their voice heard in the moment.”