Territory Stories

Investigation into complaint by North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency about the care provided to Ms N by Department of Health and Community Services, the Public Guardian and Council. 27 June 2013

Details:

Title

Investigation into complaint by North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency about the care provided to Ms N by Department of Health and Community Services, the Public Guardian and Council. 27 June 2013

Collection

Health and Community Services Complaints Commission annual report; Reports; PublicationNT

Date

2013-06

Description

Made available via the Publications (Legal Deposit) Act 2004 (NT).

Language

English

Subject

Northern Territory. Health and Community Services Complaints Commission -- Periodicals; Health facilities -- Northern Territory -- Complaints against -- Periodicals; Patient advocacy -- Northern Territory -- Periodicals

Publisher name

Health and Community Services Complaints Commission

Place of publication

Darwin

File type

application/msword

Copyright owner

Check within Publication or with content Publisher.

Parent handle

https://hdl.handle.net/10070/252343

Citation address

https://hdl.handle.net/10070/545331

Related items

https://hdl.handle.net/10070/545333

Page content

6 concerned for the time taken to review the circumstances leading up to Ms Ns death. 6. During the course of the Investigation records were obtained from DHCS, the Office of the Public Guardian, NAAJA, the relevant Health Clinic, Gove District Hospital and Royal Darwin Hospital. Although requested, no records were received from the relevant Community Centre (Aged and Respite Service)(the Respite Centre) or Council (the Council) as the Commission was advised that the relevant computer and paper work had been discarded. No information was received in response to a Notice to Produce. 7. Interviews were conducted with staff from DHCS, the Health Clinic, the Respite Centre, NAAJA, and the Office of the Public Guardian. 8. This version of the report has been amended prior to publication in an effort to protect the identity of Ms N. 9. The background of events that follows is as comprehensive as the information available to the Investigator allows. 4. BACKGROUND 10. Ms N was born on 3 May 1973 and lived most of her life in an Aboriginal Community in Arnhem Land. Ms N had an intellectual and physical disability and also suffered from epilepsy. Ms Ns seizures commenced when she was 5 months old and significant developmental delay was identified at 4 years of age. In 2001 an MRI scan revealed that Ms N had