Andrew Murray (WA, Australian Democrats) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Mr President, you would know that I do not agree that members opposite do not take these matters seriously, as I do not agree that the government do not take these matters seriously. But the fact is that we have 13,900 deaths in work related injuries and preventable hospital mistakes which are just not being addressed with the same energy that road deaths have been addressed, and I think the government can take national leadership in the area. So my supplementary question is this: is the minister aware that it was reported in at least one hospital in Geelong that the rate of adverse medical events which lead to preventable deaths has been massively reduced by more effective reporting, communication and management systems? Why is this not being replicated elsewhere? If the minister is not aware, perhaps he could take that back to the Minister for Health and Ageing and give us an answer.