THE Launceston General Hospital will seek clarification of a coroner's comments that "the failings of the management of the LGH" prompted the reopening of an investigation into the death of a patient who had been misdiagnosed.
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Coroner Rod Chandler reopened his investigation into the 2012 death of Maureen Ann Rogers, 71, of Norwood, in December last year and published his new findings on Friday.
Mrs Rogers had been sent home from the LGH at 5.30pm the day before her death after being treated for more than nine hours for gastritis.
Mr Chandler, in his new findings, restated that Mrs Rogers was suffering from an aortic dissection, a serious heart condition, which required emergency surgery and caused her death.
"Although that surgery involved substantial risk the failure of the LGH medical staff to properly diagnose Mrs Rogers and recommend the necessary treatment denied her all opportunity of a full recovery and an extended life," he said.
Mr Chandler recommended that the LGH undertake a review of the competencies of its radiological staff with a view to putting in place, if deemed necessary, processes for their updated training and the proper supervision or monitoring of their work.
The addendum to the new findings stated the investigation was reopened because radiologist Dr Anil Gupta had not been given an opportunity "due to the failings of the management of the LGH" to provide the coroner with information about the circumstances of Mrs Rogers' death.
Friday's publication replaced Mr Chandler's original findings, also without inquest, released in August 2014 and considered Dr Gupta's information and further investigations made.
Clinical services director Dr Peter Renshaw, in a statement on Friday, said the LGH had fully co-operated with the coronial investigation and made changes last year.
"Specifically, the hospital has instituted an annual independent external audit of the clinical reporting of X-rays and scans performed by all radiologists working within the hospital," he said.
"Any discrepancies discovered between the reports done by the LGH radiologists and the independent reading, are reviewed and feedback provided to the individual clinician.
"Any significant variations found in clinical practice will be further investigated in a process overseen by the hospital's Clinical Risk Management Committee."
