In reply: We are grateful to Mooney for drawing our attention to the “missing chapter” of the Douglas Inquiry report, which came to light after we had submitted our article for publication. Open and fully public inquiries are necessary for all parties involved.1 To the best of our knowledge, the Douglas Inquiry is the most thorough review ever undertaken of clinical standards in an Australian hospital.2 It is difficult to know how other hospitals would have compared over the same period.3
The full article is accessible to AMA members and paid subscribers. Login to read more or purchase a subscription now.
Please note: institutional and Research4Life access to the MJA is now provided through Wiley Online Library.
- 1 Greater Green Triangle University Department of Rural Health, Flinders and Deakin Universities, Warrnambool, VIC.
- 2 School of Behavioural Science, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC.
- 3 Central Queensland Health Service District, Rockhampton, QLD.
- 4 ACT Health, Canberra, ACT.
- 5 University of Western Sydney, Sydney, NSW.
- 1. Final report of the Queensland Public Hospitals Commission of Inquiry. (The Davies report.) November 2005. http://www.qphci.qld.gov.au (accessed Dec 2006).<eMJA full text>
- 2. Douglas N, Robinson J, Fahy K. Inquiry into obstetric and gynaecological services at King Edward Memorial Hospital 1990–2000. Final report. Perth: Government of Western Australia, 2001.
- 3. McLean J, Walsh M. Lessons from the inquiry into obstetrics and gynaecology services at King Edward Memorial Hospital 1990–2000. Aust Health Rev 2003; 26: 12-23.
- 4. Dunbar JA, Reddy P, Beresford B, et al. In the wake of hospital inquiries: impact on staff and safety. Med J Aust 2007; 186: 80-83. <MJA full text>
- 5. General Medical Council. Good medical practice. London: GMC, 2006. http://www.gmc-uk.org/guidance/good_medical_practice/ (accessed Dec 2006).
- 6. National Patient Safety Agency. NPSA statement on review of arm’s length bodies. 22 Jul 2004. http://www.npsa.nhs.uk/display?contentld=3106 (accessed Dec 2006).