The parents of two-year-old Joe Massa are speaking out about the devastating loss of their son, who died after a series of shocking mistakes at Northern Beaches Hospital.
Joe’s death has left his family and community reeling, and has raised serious questions about the hospital’s care and the impact of privatization on patient safety.
What Went Wrong?
Joe was taken to the emergency department at Northern Beaches Hospital after vomiting the night before.
Despite his alarming symptoms, including a dangerously elevated heart rate, pale and floppy skin, and growing unresponsiveness, he was not given the urgent care he needed.
The hospital’s triage nurse failed to categorize Joe as a high-priority patient, and he was not hooked up to monitoring equipment or given an IV drip, despite his parents’ repeated requests.
A Series of Critical Failures
A Serious Adverse Event Review (SAER) later confirmed that Joe’s heart rate should have triggered a “rapid response” and immediate treatment.
However, hospital staff failed to recognize the severity of his condition, misdiagnosing him with gastro and ignoring critical warning signs, including his skyrocketing heart rate, limpness, rash, and loss of consciousness.
It wasn’t until over three hours later, when another nurse realized Joe was gravely ill, that he was transferred to the resuscitation bay. Tragically, it was too late, and Joe suffered a catastrophic cardiac arrest.
A Call for Accountability and Reform
Joe’s parents, Elouise and Danny Massa, are demanding urgent reform and accto ountability ensure that no other family goes through what they have endured.
They are calling for an independent public review into the hospital’s emergency department, as well as statewide enforcement of the REACH protocol, which informs parents of their right to escalate concerns when their child is deteriorating.
They are also seeking urgent IT system upgrades to ensure immediate alerts for at-risk patients when human error occurs.
The Impact of Privatization
The Massa family is also speaking out about the impact of privatization on patient care. Northern Beaches Hospital is operated by Healthscope, a private healthcare provider, and the family believes that the hospital’s focus on financial interests may have contributed to the failures that led to Joe’s death.
NSW Health Minister Ryan Park has announced an investigation into the incident and has expressed concerns about the impact of privatization on patient safety.
A Family’s Grief and Determination
Joe’s parents are determined to ensure that their son’s death is not in vain. They are working tirelessly to bring about change and to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future.
As Elouise Massa said, “Joe had his whole life ahead of him. We do not want one more family on the Northern Beaches to go through what we’ve had to go through.”