COOKING DINNER WHEN SUDDENLY RECEIVING CONDOLENCES FOR… YOUR OWN D3:ATH: A terrifying night when the family gathered to mourn someone who was still very much alive!
Michelle Buckley was at home cooking dinner one night when her loved ones suddenly began receiving condolences for her death.
The horrific news followed a hospital identity mix-up that left her family grieving for a woman who was still very much alive.
Melbourne woman declared dead by mistake after hospital mix-up. 9News
In May, police discovered the body of a 54-year-old woman inside a home in Tarneit, in Melbourne’s west.
The dead woman was carrying Buckley’s personal identification, along with patient files from Werribee Mercy Hospital.
Believing the woman was in fact Buckley, officers formally notified her next of kin.
The situation worsened when Buckley discovered online that the dead woman’s private medical history had been merged directly onto her My Health record.
Recalling the moment her family received the devastating news, Buckley said the shock was overwhelming.
“I just felt like time stood still and I couldn’t believe what I was hearing,” she told ABC News.
“The whole family was devastated. My aunt had to go and stay with my cousins for a week or so because she was so upset.”
In a statement, a Mercy Health spokesperson issued an apology to those impacted. 9News
Slater and Gordon lawyer Kieren McKenzie, who is representing Buckley, described the blunder as unprecedented.
“I’ve never seen something like this,” McKenzie said.
“It has raised some questions for us as to how her medical details, sensitive information, and her intimate documents have been handled.”
It’s understood the dead woman had been in contact with Werribee Mercy Hospital for about six months and was misidentified from the very beginning.
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The woman reportedly alerted hospital staff to the identity error on four separate occasions, but no action was taken to rectify the records.
Victoria Police confirmed it was continuing to support Buckley and her family through the aftermath of the ordeal.
Mercy Health confirmed it had launched an internal review into how the identity mix-up occurred.
In a statement, a Mercy Health spokesperson issued an apology to those impacted:
“We are deeply sorry to the patients and family involved and to everyone affected. Every patient has the right to expect that their identity and health information are managed safely and accurately.”
SOURCE: 9 NEWS
https://www.nine.com.au/australia-news/vic/melbourne-woman-declared-dead-by-mistake-after-major-hospital-mix-up-20260722-p60hn3.html
