A grieving daughter has expressed her profound outrage after a hospital, accused of negligence in the deaths of her elderly parents, offered to waive the fees for collecting their bodies—a cost they, as pensioners, would not have had to pay.
A Tragic Sequence of Events
Margaret Wing, 64, and Steven Jackson, 76, died from Influenza A on November 16 after their family claims they were denied timely medical care. Their daughter, Mandy Wing, says the tragedy began when her parents, initially suffering from a minor sniffle, tried to seek help. After being unable to secure a local doctor's appointment, her mother called Inverell Hospital in northern New South Wales.
Ms Wing alleges that during that call on Friday, November 14, a hospital worker stated no doctors were available and they would have to wait until the following Monday. Concerned, Ms Wing herself called the hospital, stressing how unwell her parents were. "I spoke to the nurse who answered the phone with 'Hello, emergency'... The nurse was a bit rude really," she recounted. "They have a duty of care and I was just told there was no doctor available."
A Devastating Outcome and an 'Insulting' Gesture
Two days later, on Sunday evening, the couple were found unresponsive at their home by their 18-year-old grandson. Paramedics declared them dead at the scene. In the aftermath, Ms Wing says hospital bosses have failed to offer a direct apology for the alleged blunder.
Instead, she says they offered what she called a "paltry sum." "They said they are still investigating but will waive the ambulance fees, $480.77 for my mother and $480.77 for my father," Ms Wing explained. The offer was particularly galling as both her parents held Pension Concession Cards, which exempt them from ambulance transport fees in NSW. "They were both pensioners so I don't think we had to pay it anyway," she said.
"No amount of money is going to bring them back," Ms Wing told reporters. "I have heard, 'Sorry for your loss' and 'Condolences' - but no, 'Sorry this happened'."
Questions Over Preventable Deaths and Systemic Failings
Ms Wing maintains her parents' deaths were entirely preventable and that the family was not informed of alternative options at the time. They were unaware they could have called an ambulance to be seen at Armidale Hospital, an hour and a half away, or that Inverell Hospital's emergency department could access a digital doctor service.
"If my mum or dad got to see a doctor, one of them, or maybe both of them, would still be alive," she asserted. "We live in Australia and this sort of thing just shouldn't happen." She remains sceptical that systemic issues have been resolved, noting that when she called the hospital recently, the phone rang out unanswered.
Health chiefs have launched an investigation into the incident. A spokesperson for the Hunter New England Local Health District stated they had contacted Ms Wing and insisted that NSW public hospitals never turn away people needing urgent care. They emphasised that Inverell Hospital provides 24/7 emergency care and that patients are supported via virtual care when a doctor is not on site.
NSW Health Minister Ryan Park offered his condolences to the family, stating, "I want to be very clear, EDs will never turn away people requiring emergency care or treatment." He confirmed the local health district is reviewing the circumstances.
