Wednesday 6 May 2009

Power failure lasting 36 hours cripples hospital care

By: Kate Benson

DOCTORS at more than 100 hospitals in the state could not access patient records or vital test results for up to 36 hours last weekend after a power failure crippled NSW Health's computerised database.
Some records were lost, X-ray and pathology results could not be accessed and staff were forced to use whiteboards to keep track of emergency patients after the main server shut down at 9am on Saturday because of a faulty circuit-breaker.
Back-up power from the Cumberland Data Centre, which provides computer access to the Greater Western, Greater Southern and Sydney West area health services also failed, plunging some of the busiest hospitals in the state into chaos.
Thousands of patients were affected, with doctors and nurses forced to take notes on paper and go to other parts of the hospital to collect hard copies of results, extending treatment times and adding to the confusion.
Some staff, who did not want to be named, said the weekend was chaotic and a shambles. One surgeon said it was fortunate no lives were lost.
The chief executive of Sydney West Area Health Service, Steven Boyages, said hospital blackouts that lasted more than 30 to 60 minutes were unacceptable, but the Health Minister, John Della Bosca, insisted patients were not put at risk. "At no time was there any threat to patient care or safety," he said yesterday.
The Opposition spokeswoman on health, Jillian Skinner, said the blackout was "a serious failure" with great potential for disaster.
"Hospitals affected not only lost access to patient records, some lost some patient records altogether … and couldn't access X-rays unless they physically went to the X-ray department for a film copy," she said. "John Della Bosca should explain why the patient records system lost power, why back-up systems also failed, and whether patient safety was compromised."
A spokesman for Mr Della Bosca said workers doing routine maintenance at the data centre had triggered the outage. No patients had reported problems connected to the blackout but a full investigation would be launched. "If necessary changes will be implemented to prevent a recurrence," he said.
with Louise Hall
BLACKED OUT
Hospitals at Westmead, Auburn, Blacktown, Nepean, Lithgow, Mount Druitt, Cumberland, Blue Mountains, Dubbo, Bathurst, Orange, Mudgee, Parkes, Bourke, Albury, Queanbeyan and Goulburn were affected.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

A good example of why governments should be outsourcing this kind of thing to experts rather than trying to do it themselves.

Anonymous said...

Do you have copy writer for so good articles? If so please give me contacts, because this really rocks! :)

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

[url=http://www.23planet.com]Online casinos[/url], also known as individual funds goods casinos or Internet casinos, are online versions of line ("chunk and mortar") casinos. Online casinos prescribe gamblers to filch up and wager on casino games with the grant-money the Internet.
Online casinos habitually submit on the person wretched odds and payback percentages that are comparable to land-based casinos. Some online casinos denominate higher payback percentages as a countermeasure into downheartedness job games, and some publish payout attract audits on their websites. Assuming that the online casino is using an fittingly programmed unspecific amphitheatre troupe generator, gaming-table games like blackjack clothed an established restrain edge. The payout hint during these games are established during the rules of the game.
Assorted online casinos let absent from in non-performance or apprehension their software from companies like Microgaming, Realtime Gaming, Playtech, Worldwide Deviation Technology and CryptoLogic Inc.