Victorian government defends health helpline after misdiagnosis
The Victorian government has stood by its telephone medical advice service despite a misdiagnosis of a meningococcal disease patient.
A Melbourne woman said Nurse on Call operators told her to take a Panadol, have a bath and rest before she was rushed to hospital with the potentially deadly disease.
But Victorian Health Minister, Bronwyn Pike, said the nurses are highly qualified and there is no need for a review of the service.
McKesson Asia Pacific, which runs the Nurse on Call service, says that the report of this case had prompted positive feedback. More than 100 calls of praise had been received during January, compared with 380 from July to December last year. The service has received 146 complaints since July 2006, when it started in Victoria.
