This is the third podcast in a series about medical injury. First we talked about what victims of injury want to hear from the health system after such an event. And then we discussed the guilt and compromised professional identity that doctors might feel when they’ve been involved in a patient harm. We also heard how fear of medicolegal suits is a major obstacle to greater transparency. At least that’s the case in Australia, where litigation is virtually the only way for victims to get financial compensation for their hardship and ongoing care. New Zealand, by contrast, operates a no-fault compensation scheme where all such costs are born by the government, for harms from care that are relatively unpredictable. We’ll look at the advantages this system has, for patients and practitioners, but also at some of the issues that remain unresolved. 

Guests
Associate Professor Marie Bismark FAFPHM (Melbourne School of Population and Global Health University of Melbourne). 

Associate Professor Katharine Wallis FRACGP FACRRM (Head, Primary Care Clinical Unit, University of Queensland) 

Production
Written and produced by Mic Cavazzini DPhil. Music licenced from Epidemic Sound includes ‘Circular’ by Silver Maple, ‘Into the Bone’ by Taylor Crane, ‘Heart of the River of the Sun’ by Lama House, ‘Disconnect’ by Gavin Luke, and ‘Five Below’ by Torii Wolf. Image licensed from Getty Images. Feedback on this episode was kindly provided by the following members of the Podcast Editorial Group; Loryn Einstein, Phillipa Wormald and Lisa Mounsey.

Please visit the RACP website for a transcript and supporting references. Fellows of the College can claim CPD credits for listening to the podcast and reading supporting resources.