Management and outcomes of health practitioner complaints in Australia: a comparison of the national and New South Wales systems

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 180
Author(s):  
Merrilyn Walton ◽  
Patrick J. Kelly ◽  
E. Mary Chiarella ◽  
Terry Carney
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Boundary Crossing ◽  
Health Practitioner ◽  
National System ◽  
Health Impairment ◽  
Regulatory Authorities ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Two Systems

Objective. The aim of this study was to summarise the process and outcomes of complaints from five regulated health professions in Australia, and to compare these between the national and New South Wales (NSW) systems. Methods. This is a retrospective cohort study of all complaints lodged from 1 July 2012 to 31 December 2013 for medicine, nursing and midwifery, dentistry, psychology and pharmacy registered practitioners. Data were extracted from the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, the NSW Health Professional Councils’ Authority and the NSW Health Care Complaints Commission databases. The main outcome measures were frequencies and percentages of process decisions and outcomes. Results. Systems differed in classification of complaints as conduct (national 47%; NSW 22%) and performance (national 45%; NSW 71%). Thirty-eight per cent of complaints were investigated or managed through a health or performance stream (national 40%; NSW 34%), but the national system investigated more matters (national 35%; NSW 6%). Over 50% of complaints resulted in ‘no further action’ (national 60%; NSW 70%). The most common action was caution or counsel (national 12%; NSW 15%), followed by conditions, (national 10%; NSW 5%). Practitioner registration surrender was more common with the NSW than national system (national 0.1%; NSW 1.3%), but registration suspensions or cancellations were similar (national 0.6%; NSW 1.0%). Conclusion. The main difference between the two systems is the administrative decision as to how complaints are assessed. In NSW, a classification of a complaint as ‘performance’ usually means the complaint is not investigated; rather, the practitioner is assessed by peers and may be required to undergo further education and training. Reaching agreement and understanding of complaints that should be investigated and those appropriate for performance review would strengthen a national approach to health complaint regulation. What is known about the topic? The national system of managing healthcare complaints is relatively new (since 2010) compared with the NSW system (since 1993). Annual reports of the regulatory authorities provide summaries of types and outcomes of complaints separately for each profession, and separately for NSW and the national system, but we do not know how the two systems directly compare in terms of complaint management or their outcomes. What does this paper add? This study examined how different types of complaints are managed between the two systems and whether there are any differences in outcomes. The types of complaints are almost identical between the two systems, but classification of complaints as ‘performance’ or ‘conduct’ differed. Immediate action is more common in the national than NSW system, especially for health impairment and boundary crossing. Health impairment complaints are much less likely to be discontinued at the assessment stage in NSW compared with the national system. The NSW and national systems are similar in terms of complaints proceeding to either an investigation or performance or health assessment, but the national system investigates more than the NSW system. For many types of complaints the outcomes were similar between systems, but there were clear differences for some types of complaints, such as health impairment and boundary crossing. What are the implications for practitioners? An efficient and fair regulatory system is crucial for maintaining practitioner trust, as well as trust of the public. This study shows that there are many similarities between the national and NSW systems in terms of process and outcomes, but there are differences in the way some types of complaints are assessed between the two systems. This knowledge may assist regulatory authorities in their efforts to achieve a nationally consistent approach to complaints.

Prevalence of mental disorders in Australia: some evidence from the Hospital Morbidity Collection in New South Wales

1984 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 357-367 ◽  
Author(s):  
Farhat Yusuf ◽  
M. Hamid Sheikh
Keyword(s):  
Mental Disorders ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
International Classification Of Diseases ◽  
Ethnic Origin ◽  
Affective Psychosis ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Classification Of Diseases ◽  
Hospital Morbidity

SummaryThis study examines data from 47,238 episodes of hospitalization in New South Wales, Australia, pertaining to the patients suffering from mental disorders, i.e. those patients with a principal diagnosis coded from 290 to 315 inclusive, according to the 8th revision of the International Classification of Diseases.An overall prevalence of nine episodes of hospitalization due to mental disorders was found per 1000 population per annum. Major disease categories were neuroses and alcoholism (each accounting for 21% of the total episodes) followed by schizophrenia (16%) and affective psychosis (11%); there were substantial differences by age, sex, marital status and ethnic origin.

Fibrous Tremolite in Central New South Wales, Australia

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-77
Author(s):  
Marc Hendrickx
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Natural Material ◽  
Widespread Occurrence ◽  
Asbestos Fibers ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Toxicological Studies ◽  
Amphibole Asbestos

ABSTRACT Tremolite schists in Ordovician meta-volcanic units in central New South Wales (NSW) consist of fine fibrous tremolite-actinolite. They host tremolite asbestos occurrences, and small quantities of asbestos were mined from narrow vein deposits in central NSW during the last century. When pulverized, the tremolite schist releases mineral fragments that fall into the classification range for countable mineral fibers and may be classed as asbestos despite not having an asbestiform habit. The ambiguity in classification of this type of natural material raises significant health and safety, legal, and environmental issues that require clarification. While the health effects of amphibole asbestos fibers are well known, the consequences of exposure to non-asbestiform, fibrous varieties is not well studied. This group of elongated mineral particles deserves more attention due to their widespread occurrence in metamorphic rocks in Australia. Toxicological studies are needed to assess the health risks associated with disturbance of these minerals during mining, civil construction, forestry, and farming practices.

Charles Nicholson: Improbable Commissioner of National Education

1973 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 80-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. C. Gawne
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
National Education ◽  
National System ◽  
South Wales

Charles Nicholson was appointed in 1848 as one of the first three Commissioners of National Education in New South Wales. This appointment has understandably influenced many scholars to conclude that Nicholson was a pioneer of that system of education in the colony. In fact he was not. He was a consistent supporter of denominational education and in 1837 actually allied himself with Bishop Broughton's opposition to National education. However from 1844 onwards his attitude to the latter system softened. During the same period he became increasingly estranged from the person and policies of Broughton, and eventually dissociated himself completely from all Broughton's works. Thus he was free to work for the National system of education which he had come to regard as a necessary complement to the denominational system.

Classification of wheat areas and prediction of yields in north-western New South Wales by repetitive Landsat data

1980 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 449 ◽  
Author(s):  
KW Dawbin ◽  
JC Evans ◽  
MJ Duggin ◽  
EK Leggett
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Wheat Yield ◽  
Multivariate Statistical ◽  
Wheat Growth ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Three Stages ◽  
Radiance Data ◽  
Vegetative Phases

Radiance data collected by Landsat were used to derive wheat production forecasts. Radiance data at three stages of wheat growth in 1976 for the Tamworth region of the New South Wales wheat-belt were analysed by multivariate statistical methods to discriminate between paddocks that had been sown with wheat and those that had not, and to relate radiance to wheat yield. A discriminant function was derived that classified the paddocks, and a regression equation was derived to predict yields of wheat paddocks. Although data were not available for the green vegetative phases of growth, intrinsic testing of classification and yield prediction indicated high accuracy, although extrinsic testing indicated that they were less accurate. Assuming that data are available in future seasons at the vegetative stages, Landsat has a great potential for improving wheat forecasts in Australia.

The first Australian Paratrachys (Coleptera : Buprestidae), with comments on the higher classification of the genus

1995 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 1265 ◽  
Author(s):  
CL Bellamy ◽  
GA Willams
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Cladistic Analysis ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Two New Species

Two new species of Paratrachys, the first known from Australia, are described. P. australia, sp. nov., from coastal New South Wales is placed in the nominate subgenus and P. queenslandia, sp. nov., from Queensland, in P. (Friendiella) Holynski. The species are fully described, illustrated and a brief discussion is presented on the recent generic review by Holynski and the placement of this genus in the familial hierarchy. A modified key for both Paratrachys (Friendiella) and P. (s. str.) the Hederae-circle is presented to incorporate these new species. A cladistic analysis shows that the Paratrachydina is best defined as monotypic.

The genus Microvelia Westwood in Australia (Hemiptera : Heteroptera : Veliidae)

2003 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nils Møller Andersen ◽  
Tom A. Weir
Keyword(s):  
Western Australia ◽  
Type Species ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Northern Territory ◽  
Australian Species ◽  
The Past ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Water Accumulation

Water striders and their allies (Hemiptera, Gerromorpha) are familiar inhabitants of water surfaces throughout the world. One of the most species-rich groups is the subfamily Microveliinae (Veliidae) and, in particular, the genus Microvelia Westwood, 1834. This genus comprises small or very small bugs inhabiting the nearshore areas of stagnant or slow-flowing fresh water. Accumulation of material during the past 30 years has shown that the Australian fauna of Microvelia is much richer and more diverse than previously recognised. In the present paper we discuss the subgeneric classification of the genus Microvelia based on the results of a phylogenetic analysis using maximum parsimony, describe three new subgenera and redescribe all previously known Australian species of the genus. The new taxa are: Microvelia (Austromicrovelia), subgen. nov. (type species: Microvelia mjobergi Hale, 1925) with the species Microvelia (Austromicrovelia) spurgeon, M. hypipamee, M. margaretae, M.�monteithi, M. tuberculata, M. myorensis, M. woodwardi, M. carnarvon, M. annemarieae, M. mossman, spp. nov. (all from Queensland), M. eborensis and M. milleri, spp. nov. (New South Wales), M. queenslandiae, M.�ventrospinosa, spp. nov. (New South Wales, Queensland), M. angelesi, M. alisonae, M. odontogaster, spp. nov. (Northern Territory), M. apunctata, sp. nov. (Northern Territory, Queensland), M. pennicilla, sp. nov. (Northern Territory, Western Australia), M. herberti, M. malipatili, M. torresiana, and M. australiensis, spp. nov. (Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia), Microvelia (Barbivelia), subgen. nov. (type species: Microvelia barbifer, sp. nov.) with the species Microvelia (Barbivelia) barbifer, sp. nov. (Queensland) and M. falcifer, sp. nov. (Northern Territory); Microvelia (Pacificovelia), subgen. nov. (type species: Microvelia oceanica Distant, 1914) with the species M. tasmaniensis, sp. nov. (Tasmania), M. lilliput, and M. kakadu, spp. nov. (Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia). We further recognise the subgenus Microvelia (Picaultia), stat. nov. (type species: Picaultia pronotalis Distant, 1913), and describe the following new species: Microvelia (Picaultia) justi and M. paramega, spp. nov. (Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia), and M. cassisi, sp. nov. (New South Wales). Finally, Microvelia fluvialis weiri Malipatil, 1980, is synonymised with Microvelia fluvialis Malipatil, 1980. Keys to adults of all species are provided and their distributions mapped.

The Classification of Prisoners in New South Wales

1961 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 81
Author(s):  
Harold Fallding
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
South Wales
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