New details about the failings of some NSW hospitals have emerged during discussions about parliament’s budget estimates.
While questioned by the state opposition, Health Minister Jillian Skinner was forced to confirm a number of shocking incidents, including one where a baby was wrongly cremated.
The terrible mistake, made at Royal North Shore hospital, ended with a baby being cremated against its parents will when it was incorrectly identified.
The infant had been miscarried after just 20 weeks and the parents had requested a burial. They then received their baby’s ashes after it was confused with another bub.
“While they both had identification that was correct, there was a blanket on one of them with a label that staff believed was the other baby,” said Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant.
Northern Sydney Local Health District issued an apology last night, stating:
“A number of measures have since been put in place to avoid a similar mistake being ¬repeated in the future.”
Other incidents uncovered included an 89-year-old’s body being incorrectly labelled and a body being exhumed after being wrongly identified.
