Man died amid 'systemic failings' of 'overworked' health system, inquest finds
Petar Josipovic, who died in the Royal Adelaide Hospital in 2023, could have survived if his high-priority cardiac surgery was performed on time, a coroner finds.
In September 2023, Petar Josipovic, a 62-year-old man, passed away following a delay in his high-priority cardiac surgery at the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH). The inquest revealed that if the operation had been performed sooner, Mr Josipovic might have had a higher chance of survival. The coroner, David Whittle, acknowledged that the health system was overworked, leading to several rescheduling of his surgery.
Mr Josipovic's surgery was originally scheduled for August 14, but it was rescheduled multiple times, and he became ill on August 24. He survived an emergency surgery but ultimately succumbed to complications three weeks later. The coroner noted that while the chance of survival was high if the surgery had been performed on the scheduled date, it came with the potential risk of another patient not receiving the necessary care.
Mr Josipovic's son, Nick, had expressed concerns about the delays to the coroner on the day his father died. The coroner made two recommendations, including an external review to consider the referral process, clinic capacity, and the costs and benefits of an additional theatre list and surgical cancellations, as well as clear guidelines for patients awaiting cardiothoracic surgery who report clinical deterioration.
Despite several improvements in the delivery of cardiothoracic services at the RAH, more can be done, according to Whittle. He expressed sincere condolences to Mr Josipovic's family and noted that Nick had given evidence and attended the hearing each day. South Australian Health shared their condolences and stated they would consider the coroner's recommendations.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
