The Government of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) has issued an apology in relation to a death following an aortic dissection and CT misread, according to Region Canberra news.
In a report 23 September, Region Canberra highlighted events from an ACT Legislative Assembly meeting where health officials tabled the government's response into the death of retired Canberra teacher Peter Hanisch. Hanisch died in 2021 after a radiologist missed his aortic dissection.
Coroner Ken Archer had found that timely treatment of the aortic dissection might have saved Hanisch’s life. Archer was unable to find why the error in reading the CT scan occurred and said there was no evidence of a lack of clinical competence, Region Canberra noted. Clinicians pursued other causes of his symptoms, including a possible reaction to a recent COVID-19 vaccination at the time.
Minister for Health Rachel Stephen-Smith said, “a lack of formal quality assurance in place at the time of Peter’s presentation let him and his family down," according to Region Canberra, and Canberra Health Services (CHS) has begun drafting a medical imaging peer review procedure.
The procedure will apply to all CHS radiologists, radiology registrars, and imaging reports generated within the department, including diagnostic radiology reports, interventional radiology procedures, and nuclear medicine studies, Region Canberra reported.
