❓ A Western Australian parliamentary question reveals multiple unplanned digital outages across WA hospitals in 2018-19 and since July 2019, impacting various systems. No adverse patient safety events were identified.
AnsweredQoN 5459Legislative Assembly
Asked
18 September 2019
Member
Portfolio
Deputy Premier; Minister for Health; Mental Health
QuestionView source ↗
(1) For the 2018-19 financial year, did any hospital experience an unplanned digital outage, and if so: (a) What hospital; (b) What was the reason for the outage; (c) How long was the outage; (d) What systems were affected; (e) What contingency plans were put in place; and (f) Were there any unforeseen events, unplanned issues or adverse events which occurred that impacted or risked patient safety: (i) If so, what were they? (2) Since 1 July 2019 has any hospital experienced an unplanned digital outage and if so: (a) What hospital; (b) What was the reason for the outage; (c) How long was the outage; (d) What systems were affected; (e) What contingency plans were put in place; and (f) Were there any unforeseen events, unplanned issues or adverse events which occurred that impacted or risked patient safety: (i) If so, what were they?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
26 November 2019
Response time
17 days
(1) Yes, the following unplanned digital outages occurred:
(a) Impacted sites
(b) Outage Reason
(c) Outage Duration (dd:hh:mm)
(d) Systems Affected
All sites*
ICT infrastructure issue
08:14:10*
WA Health Telecommunications Network
All sites
ICT infrastructure issue
00:19:30
Patient administration system
Fiona Stanley Hospital
ICT Software issue
01:04:30
Theatre management system
All sites
ICT Software issue
00:08:45
Intranet system
All sites
ICT infrastructure issue
00:17:30
Patient administration system
All hospital sites
ICT infrastructure issue
00:06:06
Bed management system Clinical summary notifications system
Perth Children's Hospital
ICT infrastructure issue
00:09:25
PCH internal communications network
Fiona Stanley Hospital
ICT Software issue
00:00:53
FSH Home Drive H
Fiona Stanley Hospital
ICT infrastructure issue
00:00:23
FSH internal communications network
Fiona Stanley Hospital
ICT infrastructure issue
00:00:57
FSH internal communications network
Fiona Stanley Hospital
ICT infrastructure issue
00:01:55
FSH Home Drive H
Fiona Stanley Hospital
ICT infrastructure issue
00:00:33
FSH internal communications network
Fiona Stanley Hospital
ICT infrastructure issue
00:00:59
FSH internal communications network
Fiona Stanley Hospital
ICT infrastructure issue
00:15:00
FSH Parking system
Fiona Stanley Hospital
ICT infrastructure issue
00:00:57
FSH internal communications network
*During this eight-day period, all sites experienced a six-hour outage. Services then returned to all sites but in a degraded state. Heightened support was provided by Health Support Services while the issue was remediated.
(e) Every hospital and health care site has a unique Business Continuity Plan in place that is implemented during digital outages.
(f) None identified.
(i) Not applicable.
(2) Yes. Since 1 July 2019, the following unplanned digital outages occurred;
(a) Impact Sites
(b) Outage Reason
(c) Outage Duration
(dd:hh:mm)
(d) Systems Affected
Mainly Health Support Services with some smaller community sites also affected.
ICT infrastructure issue
00:07:42
WA Health Telecommunications Network
Perth Children’s Hospital
ICT infrastructure issue
00:06:20
Perth Children’s Hospital mobile duress system
Fiona Stanley Hospital
ICT Software issue
00:01:22
FSH internal communications network
Fiona Stanley Hospital
ICT infrastructure issue
00:01:37
FSH menu ordering system
Fiona Stanley Hospital
ICT infrastructure issue
00:01:37
FSH on-line e-learning system
Fiona Stanley Hospital
ICT infrastructure issue
00:02:32
FSH electronic medical device tracking system.
FSH Document Management System.
FSH Paging system.
FSH intranet system SharePoint.
(e) Every hospital and health care site has a unique Business Continuity Plan in place that is implemented during digital outages.
(f) None identified.
(i) Not applicable.
(a) Impacted sites
(b) Outage Reason
(c) Outage Duration (dd:hh:mm)
(d) Systems Affected
All sites*
ICT infrastructure issue
08:14:10*
WA Health Telecommunications Network
All sites
ICT infrastructure issue
00:19:30
Patient administration system
Fiona Stanley Hospital
ICT Software issue
01:04:30
Theatre management system
All sites
ICT Software issue
00:08:45
Intranet system
All sites
ICT infrastructure issue
00:17:30
Patient administration system
All hospital sites
ICT infrastructure issue
00:06:06
Bed management system Clinical summary notifications system
Perth Children's Hospital
ICT infrastructure issue
00:09:25
PCH internal communications network
Fiona Stanley Hospital
ICT Software issue
00:00:53
FSH Home Drive H
Fiona Stanley Hospital
ICT infrastructure issue
00:00:23
FSH internal communications network
Fiona Stanley Hospital
ICT infrastructure issue
00:00:57
FSH internal communications network
Fiona Stanley Hospital
ICT infrastructure issue
00:01:55
FSH Home Drive H
Fiona Stanley Hospital
ICT infrastructure issue
00:00:33
FSH internal communications network
Fiona Stanley Hospital
ICT infrastructure issue
00:00:59
FSH internal communications network
Fiona Stanley Hospital
ICT infrastructure issue
00:15:00
FSH Parking system
Fiona Stanley Hospital
ICT infrastructure issue
00:00:57
FSH internal communications network
*During this eight-day period, all sites experienced a six-hour outage. Services then returned to all sites but in a degraded state. Heightened support was provided by Health Support Services while the issue was remediated.
(e) Every hospital and health care site has a unique Business Continuity Plan in place that is implemented during digital outages.
(f) None identified.
(i) Not applicable.
(2) Yes. Since 1 July 2019, the following unplanned digital outages occurred;
(a) Impact Sites
(b) Outage Reason
(c) Outage Duration
(dd:hh:mm)
(d) Systems Affected
Mainly Health Support Services with some smaller community sites also affected.
ICT infrastructure issue
00:07:42
WA Health Telecommunications Network
Perth Children’s Hospital
ICT infrastructure issue
00:06:20
Perth Children’s Hospital mobile duress system
Fiona Stanley Hospital
ICT Software issue
00:01:22
FSH internal communications network
Fiona Stanley Hospital
ICT infrastructure issue
00:01:37
FSH menu ordering system
Fiona Stanley Hospital
ICT infrastructure issue
00:01:37
FSH on-line e-learning system
Fiona Stanley Hospital
ICT infrastructure issue
00:02:32
FSH electronic medical device tracking system.
FSH Document Management System.
FSH Paging system.
FSH intranet system SharePoint.
(e) Every hospital and health care site has a unique Business Continuity Plan in place that is implemented during digital outages.
(f) None identified.
(i) Not applicable.
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