Investigation underway into why ‘wardie’ assisted in resuscitation at Ipswich Hospital

The chief executive of West Moreton Health says it is not clear why a non-clinical staff member assisted in the resuscitation of a man who died at the Ipswich Hospital emergency department on Friday afternoon.

Kerrie Freeman said there was no indication any action by staff contributed to the patient’s death, but a doctor or a nurse should have assisted the resuscitation rather than the orderly.

She said it was believed the emergency department was adequately staffed at the time.

“When we do have incidents like this in the emergency department, everyone has a part to play and that includes our operational staff or what might be called a ‘wardie’,” she said.

“But at no stage would we support them working outside their scope of practice. That…