State healthcare workers may be targeted to pay back negligence claims - Medical Brief 269 - 5 Sep 2019

State healthcare workers may be targeted to pay back negligence claims - Medical Brief 269 - 5 Sep 2019

Medical Brief 269 - 5 Sep 2019

"Gauteng Health has warned employees it may recover some of the billions in damages claims it is facing from those responsible for the medical negligence, reports TimesSelect.

Department head Professor Mkhululi Lukhele says in a recent staff circular that the department “cannot continue” to allow a situation where legal claims stand at half of its annual budget of R50.8bn. Lukhele said the claims were mainly due to the negligence of employees who did not adhere to the various rules and prescripts when executing their duties.

He cited case law stating that if an employee were found to be negligent, the head of the department had a duty to recover losses or damages from that employee. He said in cases where the employee denied liability, those would be referred to the state attorney ‘for legal action’, should it be deemed economical."

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https://www.medicalbrief.co.za/archives/state-healthcare-workers-may-targeted-pay-back-negligence-claims/