Newmarch House Inquest Reveals COVID-19 Management Failures

Poor leadership, insufficient communication and staff shortages were identified as key factors in a deadly COVID-19 outbreak at an aged-care home, according to inquest findings presented on Friday.

The inquest revealed that 19 deaths during the 2020 outbreak at Sydney's Newmarch House could have potentially been avoided with proper testing for the virus.

Magistrate Derek Lee noted that a decision not to transfer some residents to hospital may have hindered their access to necessary care, including oxygen and fluids.

Instead of hospital transfers, the Anglicare-run facility opted to manage sick residents on-site via the Hospital in the Home program, which Lee highlighted as not viable due to the nature of infectious diseases like COVID-19.

He stated that personalised assessments should have been conducted for each resident to determine appropriate treatment plans.

The inquest uncovered that staff shortages exacerbated issues, including a confusing leadership structure and inadequate communication with families seeking updates about their loved ones’ conditions.

Despite these findings, the coroner refrained from making recommendations, citing that Anglicare had already improved its policies and procedures post-outbreak.

Following lockdown in late March 2020, 37 residents at Newmarch contracted the virus within two months.

Nicole Fahey, who lost her grandmother during the outbreak, expressed a desire for substantial findings that could prevent similar situations in the future, emphasizing the need for accountability.

During the initial stages of the inquest, counsel assisting Simon Buchen SC raised questions about the informed consent of residents and their families regarding participation in the Hospital in the Home program. He also flagged the insufficient preparations made by the facility prior to the outbreak.

However, Buchen acknowledged that most families had been pleased with the home prior to the outbreak, praising the staff’s dedication and care.

Issues highlighted during the outbreak included missed medications, doctors failing to wear PPE, and inadequate meal delivery, leading to what Buchen described as chaos and dysfunctionality.

Despite these missteps, Fahey stated she did not blame individual staff members, many of whom were also infected, remarking they did their best given the circumstances.

A class action lawsuit brought against Newmarch by relatives of deceased residents reached a confidential settlement in November.