Monash Health charged over hospital death

Dandenong Hospital 296906_05

Monash Health has been charged over the death of a mental health patient at Dandenong Hospital.

The charge stems from the patient taking her own life while being treated in the hospital’s mental health unit in February 2022, according to WorkSafe.

WorkSafe alleges that the health service failed to ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, that persons other than employees were not exposed to health and safety risks.

The matter is listed for a filing hearing at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on 13 March.

It is the second current Worksafe prosecution of Monash Health relating to a patient’s death in mental health treatement.

The charge over the death of an acute mental health unit patient at Casey Hospital in 2015 will be next heard at the Victorian County Court on 4 March.

A further WorkSafe case relating to a 2021 assault of a nurse at Monash Medical Centre is scheduled for Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on 24 June.