Bundaberg Base Hospital is the public hospital of
Bundaberg
Bundaberg is a city in the Bundaberg Region, Queensland, Australia, and is the tenth largest city in the state. Bundaberg's regional area has a population of 70,921, and is a major centre of the Wide Bay–Burnett geographical region. The Bun ...
,
Queensland,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
. Bundaberg Base Hospital was opened by the
Governor of Queensland in 1914.
A base hospital is a regional centre that takes referrals from outlying hospitals, and concentrates specialised skills. Australia has a universal publicly funded health insurance scheme, so a 'public' hospital is one that is supported by public funds rather than by charging individual patients. There are two private hospitals in the same city.
The hospital has an annual budget of $56 million.
Jayant Patel
Bundaberg Hospital was the scene of a political scandal, due to the 'gross negligence' of one of its surgeons,
Jayant Patel.
Manslaughter
Manslaughter is a common law legal term for homicide considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is sometimes said to have first been made by the ancient Athenian lawmaker Draco in the 7th cen ...
charges have been recommended against him, while charges of official misconduct were levelled at the hospital's Director of Medical Services, Dr Darren Keating (the top-ranked doctor) and District Manager, Mr Peter Leck (the CEO).
On 29 June 2010, Jayant Patel was found guilty of the
unlawful killing of three patients, and
grievous bodily harm
Grievous bodily harm (often abbreviated to GBH) is a term used in English criminal law to describe the severest forms of battery. It refers to two offences that are created by sections 18 and 20 of the Offences against the Person Act 1861. The ...
to a fourth. On 1 July he was sentenced to seven years jail for his offences.
[Amelia Bentley (1 July 2010)]
'Totally inadequate': verdict split on Patel sentence
Brisbane Times. Fairfax Media. His lawyers made a successful appeal to the
High Court of Australia
The High Court of Australia is Australia's apex court. It exercises Original jurisdiction, original and appellate jurisdiction on matters specified within Constitution of Australia, Australia's Constitution.
The High Court was established fol ...
where his convictions of manslaughter and grievous bodily harm were quashed and a new trial was ordered.
See also
*
List of hospitals in Australia
References
External links
*
The Davies Commission
Hospitals in Queensland
Buildings and structures in Bundaberg
Hospitals established in 1914
1914 establishments in Australia
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