Western Australian Current Acts Western Australian Current Acts (1) Whenever an
investigator presents to the Chairperson of the Committee a report under
section 336, the Chairperson —
(a) must
consider the report; and
(b)
having regard to the circumstances disclosed by the report and the nature of
the medical case history of the deceased woman, may notify the Chief Health
Officer of the receipt of the report.
(2) On receiving a
notification under subsection (1), the Chief Health Officer must convene a
meeting of the Committee to be held within whatever period after the receipt
by the Chief Health Officer of the notification the Chairperson of the
Committee considers appropriate.
(3) The Committee must
consider the report of the investigator, and for the purpose of assisting it
in its consideration may co-opt any medical practitioners, nurses, midwives or
other persons with specialised knowledge the Committee thinks necessary.
(4) On its
consideration of the report, the Committee must determine whether in the
opinion of the Committee the death the subject of the report might have been
avoided, and may add to its determination any constructive comments the
Committee considers advisable for the future assistance and guidance of
medical practitioners, nurses and midwives.
(5) The determination
of the Committee, including the comments referred to in subsection (4) —
(a) must
be notified in writing by the Chairperson to —
(i)
the medical practitioner (if any) who was attending the
woman at the time of the occurrence of her death; and
(ii)
the nurse or midwife (if any) who was attending the woman
at that time;
and
(b) may
be notified in writing by the Chairperson to any other medical practitioner,
nurse or midwife who attended the woman before the occurrence of her death if
the Committee considers that that medical practitioner, nurse or midwife
should be informed of that determination and those comments.
[Section 340K inserted: No. 19 of 2016 s. 50.]