Already crippled by hundreds of negligence claims, Gauteng Health’s Legal Services Department is further hampered by critical shortages of staff and unfilled posts, with six out of 26 positions vacant, and its lawyers burdened by about 240 cases each.
Crucial posts that are unfilled include director: litigation, director: mediation, and director: contracts, as well as a medical doctor post and two clerical positions, reports PoliticsWeb.
Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko told DA shadow health MEC Jack Bloom in the legislature that “the ability of this unit to handle legal matters, particularly medical negligence, will be improved once the vacant posts have been filled”.
The department gets about 150 new medical negligence claims annually, with total claims now sitting at more than R16bn.
Bloom pointed out that a further weakness was poor service contracts that often don’t have penalty clauses for non-performance.
Massive losses are suffered because negligence claims are handled incorrectly, and service delivery suffers when there are defective contracts, he added. The department’s legal unit “should be fully staffed with top class people to ensure legal matters are dealt with professionally”.
This, he said, would save money and improve patient care.
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
Gauteng Health negligence crisis because of ‘management problems’
Law firms withdraw from defending Gauteng Health on negligence claims
Gauteng Health assets offered to settle mounting negligence claims
Post-death negligence award ‘exposes Gauteng Health to increased liability’