The head of one of New South Wales' largest health services has clarified evidence about the number of patients who have died during telehealth consultations.
Senior staff from the Western NSW Local Health District told a state parliamentary inquiry that there had been four deaths during virtual consultations without a doctor being physically present.
Doctors not present
Chief executive Scott McLachlan has now confirmed, in an interview, that four people died in Central West hospitals without a doctor on-site between 2016 and 2020.
Mr McLachlan has assured residents in western NSW that these tragic incidences are not common.
"It's a very small component that is delivered during telehealth," Mr McLachlan said.
"I know there were some concerns expressed about the quality of care. We'll continue to try and improve that.
"The communication with patients we know is absolutely crucial.
"Some people struggle with technology and there's an absolute understanding of that, so we need to do better with that.
Tensions between doctors and managers
Some of the submissions to the inquiry and evidence at hearings have raised concerns about tensions between clinicians and hospital administrators.
"We encourage people to speak up and in terms of some of the doctors and staff across the region that feel that services have been lost or things have changed, we absolutely understand the challenges that we've got facing workforce," Mr McLachlan said.
The Western LHD has also responded to allegations that some hospitals have run out of antibiotics and medical supplies like dressings and incontinence pads.
In a statement, it said it "had reviewed records over the past 12 months and found no reports of patients being unable to receive appropriate antibiotic medication".
The LHD also said, "the volume of stock kept on-site should be sufficient to cater for normal demand".
