KEY POINTS:
If I have a bad day at work, the worst that can happen is that someone is slandered. The lawyers would be brought in, I would read a public and grovelling apology and, in the worst instance, a sum of money would be paid to the injured party. But life would go on.
I might not be flavour of the month at the radio station for a while - if it was a truly hideous error, I might be back waiting tables - but no one would lose an eye. Generally though, bad nights involve technical glitches, and that's when my producer and I console ourselves with the thought that at least we're not brain surgeons having a bad night.
For some professions, the consequences of having an off day are truly awful. It would appear a number of health professionals had off days last year.
You'll be familiar with the more shocking cases highlighted by the Government-appointed Quality Improvement Committee report, which released the first national tally of serious events at district health boards - the falls from beds; the misdiagnoses; the incorrect administration of drugs; a patient who had the wrong side of his skull opened. It makes gruesome reading.
Mandatory reporting of all human errors was sought but experience shows this is counter-productive. A climate of fear and suspicion is created, cover-ups occur and nobody learns from mistakes - not those involved and not the profession in general. I think one of the problems is the lingering vestige of the god-like status conferred on doctors.
Some years ago, I chaired a discussion between members of the health profession and the Health and Disability Commissioner. It was an attempt by the organisers, I believe, to create a closer working relationship between the professionals and the commissioner. I'm not sure of the success of the meetings.
Chatting with many of the doctors I was struck by how deeply they are affected if patients make complaints against them. Some knew of doctors who'd left the profession before the outcome of a hearing was determined. Others spoke of depression and illness associated with the stress of having to account for their actions. At all times, there was a general air of defensiveness and a prevailing belief that mistakes don't happen.
It will be difficult to learn from mistakes if there is an attitude that mistakes simply do not occur.
Health professionals need to accept they are human and that when dealing with other imperfect humans, in the highly charged atmosphere of a hospital, there will be errors.
There are other ways of ensuring mistakes are kept to a minimum. Having the time and the staff to allow for constant checks and balances is one way. Ensuring the public uses the A and E department only for genuine emergencies is another. Removing the bulky layer of bureaucracy would also be an improvement.
I don't know how we compare to health systems overseas - the Health Minister says we're among the safest in the world - and looking at the few figures I could find, he may be right. But there's always room for improvement.
Instruments being left in patients, incorrect and fatal administrations of drugs, the wrong side of the body operated on - these are all easily preventable mistakes.
Doctors and nurses should concede errors happen and work together to ensure they have the working conditions ensure the operation is a complete success - and the patient lives.
