Mr Ripper questions the Minister for Health regarding the inadequate feeding of Nils Grimley, a brain injury patient. The Minister claims ignorance of the situation and promises to investigate.

AnsweredQoN 642Legislative Assembly
Asked
20 August 2009
Portfolio
Health

QuestionView source ↗

MR NILS
GRIMLEY
642. Mr E.S. RIPPER to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the very distressing case of Nils Grimley who is
in intensive care at Royal Perth Hospital suffering brain injury after being
hit by a drunk driver who ran a red light. In correspondence to the minister's
office, Nils' parents, John and Laurelle, have detailed the appalling
circumstances that have resulted in their son who is being fed through a
feeding tube receiving food for only 12 out of the past 20 days. A letter from
the parents states that as a result of this there have been two periods in
which their son received no sustenance except for water. The first was a period
of four to five days and the current period of two days, both occurring within
the past eight days, during which time their son and the medical team have
struggled to stabilise his feeding.
(1) Why has this appalling series of events happened?
(2) What has the minister done since learning yesterday of
this family's plight?

AnswerView source ↗

(1)-(2) I
thank the member for the question. I did not learn yesterday of this family's
plight. This is the first time I have heard of it. If something has been sent
to my office, I have not received it. I will investigate two things. Firstly, I
will investigate why, if my office was told yesterday, I was not informed.
Secondly, I will familiarise myself with the problems the member has raised and
I will find out what happened and what is going on. The situation the member
described sounds extremely serious. It certainly sounds as though there is
inadequate management. I commit to finding out what is happening and I will
make sure the member knows, and if there is a way to let the Parliament know, I
will do that also.

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