Inquest into the death of Alex Braes

Case Number: 2017/287908

Date of Findings: 30 May 2022

Magistrate: Deputy State Coroner, Magistrate Elizabeth Ryan

Catchwords: CORONIAL LAW –death of a young man – cause of death sepsis – was clinical care at Broken Hill Base Hospital adequate – were arrangements or airlift to a tertiary hospital appropriate – recommendations.

Responses

Recommendations

To the NSW Ministry of Health and the Department of Health and Wellbeing (SA):

1. That as a matter of urgency, the NSW Ministry of Health and the Department of Health and Wellbeing (SA) continue communication to agree and formalise crossborder arrangements for the transfer of critical care patients from Broken Hill to Adelaide tertiary care facilities, whether in the form of a ‘default mechanism’ or other formal agreement.

To the Secretary of NSW Health:

1. That the matter be escalated to the Secretary, NSW Health, if the discussions referred to in Recommendation 1 do not lead to the establishment of formalised arrangements, as envisaged in Recommendation 1, within 12 months from the date of these findings.