Do mental health facilities increase the risk of suicide?
A number of cases before the courts emanating from treatment in the Hunter region have drawn attention to the quality of care in our mental health facilities. Over the course…
Liability for failure to admit suicidal patient | Our client’s story
We acted for the parents of a young man against a mental health facility who were found liable for failure to admit a suicidal patient - their son. The deceased…
Chewing the fat on bariatric surgery
More Australians then ever are turning to bariatric surgery to shed unwanted weight. Australia’s battle with the bulge is becoming a national health crisis. Indeed, burgeoning waistlines are on the…
Birth trauma impacts go beyond women – Birth Trauma Awareness Week
6-12 September is Birth Trauma Awareness Week where we recognise the stories of people who have experienced trauma as a result of child birth. The Week is also a time…
Home births – why the increasing trend?
A few years ago we acted for a couple who lost their baby following a prolonged labour at home. The mother decided early in her pregnancy that she wished to…
When it comes to birth, what’s ‘normal’ got to do with it?
There are a lot of things to think about when it comes to childbirth, especially the first time. There is much written about “normal childbirth” but what does this mean?…
Injuries from Vaginal Birth | Our Client’s Story
We acted for a 24-year-old woman from regional NSW who sustained very severe physical and psychological injuries during the traumatic birth of her second child. In fact, our client’s injuries…
Media spotlight on regional NSW hospitals’ under-resourcing and systemic failures
Weekend media reports of incidents at Dubbo and Taree hospitals show the need for government action on disproportionate funding and outcomes in regional NSW hospitals to deliver a fairer health…
Catherine Henry Lawyers supports Red Nose Day
The team at Catherine Henry Lawyers supports Red Nose Day on August 14, 2020. Here’s why, and how you can help reduce Australia’s still too high child-death rate. What is…
July 1 Medical Indemnity Law Reform to be tested to help victims of disgraced Dr Blackstock
The specialist health and medical law firm representing 65 victims of disgraced cosmetic surgeon, Dr Leslie Blackstock, is testing new reforms to medical indemnity laws to help its clients and…
Dr Blackstock victim settles claim for botched breast implants l Our client’s story
Melissa Harrison’s experience of breast augmentation by disgraced cosmetic surgeon, Dr Blackstock, was so horrific that she says she contemplated taking her own life. A mother of three and a…
Catherine Henry Lawyers in the running for two prestigious Australian Law Awards
Leading regional NSW based law firm, Catherine Henry Lawyers, is in the running for two prestigious Australian Law Awards. The firm is one of eight finalists for Regional Law Firm…
Improper sepsis treatment caused serious injury | Our Client’s Story
We sought damages for our client in a case brought in the Supreme Court of NSW for serious injury as a result of improper sepsis treatment. Our client had been…
Australia needs more than a Commission to fix rural and regional healthcare
The Australian Government needs to do much more than extend the Office of the National Rural Health Commissioner to tackle the disproportionately greater number of poor health outcomes experienced by…
Inappropriate use of Gentamicin caused permanent damage | Our Client’s Story
Catherine Henry Lawyers’ health law team has settled a claim for a large sum through mediation for a woman whose distinguished career was cut short due to permanent damage caused…
Elective surgery error led to sepsis and leg amputation | Our Client’s Story
The skill and knowledge of our in-house practice nurse was instrumental in successfully settling a claim for medical negligence by our client against a local NSW area health service and…
Inquiry into Newmarch House deaths needed
The tragic number of deaths at Newmarch House exposes all that is wrong with Australia’s residential aged care system and why the Australian government needs to undertake urgent reform to…
Damages awarded due to inappropriately prescribed Gentamicin | Our Client’s Story
Catherine Henry Lawyers’ health law team has secured sizeable damages for our client after he was inappropriately prescribed Gentamicin whilst in hospital. What is Gentamicin? Gentamicin is a powerful antibiotic…
Latest report on maternal deaths in Australia
Thankfully, maternal deaths are rare in Australia. But the latest Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) report Maternal deaths in Australia 2015-2017 show that, tragically, healthy women do still…
Unnecessary administration of Gentamicin caused irreparable damage | Our Client’s story
Catherine Henry Lawyers’ health law team has settled our client’s claim for a large sum after she suffered from the unnecessary administration of Gentamicin whilst in hospital. What is Gentamicin?…
Damages awarded for fistula caused by surgical error | Our Client’s Story
Catherine Henry Lawyers’ health law team secured sizeable damages for a fistula, caused by a surgical error which robbed our client of his quality of life. 11 follow up surgeries…
Suffering in silence: Ignoring Women’s Chronic Pain
The 2020 Newcastle Writers Festival tackled the issue of women’s chronic pain in a discussion titled How Our Bodies Shape Us featuring writers Gabrielle Jackson and Lee Kofman. In her…
Have your say – Plan to cut Australia’s stubbornly high stillbirth rate
An article last weekend in The Guardian newspaper again highlights the tragedy of Australia’s unacceptably high stillbirth rate. It tells the story of a mother, Anne-Marie, whose son Xavier was…
Death of a loved one because of negligent hospital care | Our Client’s Story
We have successfully settled a claim for a large sum for our clients against a regional hospital and a general practitioner for negligent hospital care. The personal injury claim and…
Settlement paid for inappropriate treatment with Gentamicin | Our Client’s Story
Catherine Henry Lawyers’ health law team settled a claim with a hospital during mediation for a large sum on behalf of a client who experienced inappropriate treatment with Gentamicin. What…
Hospitals forced to pay compensation over excessive doses of Gentamicin | Our Client’s Story
Catherine Henry Lawyers’ health law team settled a claim for a large sum on behalf of a successful businessman and talented musician whose life has been forever altered by excessive…
Showing our appreciation of nurses and midwives – World Health Day
Today is World Health Day (7 April 2020) – a World Health Organisation auspiced international day - to celebrate the work of nurses and midwives and remind world leaders of…
What the Reform of Medical and Midwife Indemnity Laws mean for Doctors and Patients
Summary of the Medical and Midwife Indemnity Legislation Amendment Bill 2019 From July 1, 2020 new medical indemnity reform legislation will come into effect in Australia which will provide greater…
Access to abortion in NSW
In NSW, abortion is legal – however this wasn’t always the case. Whilst abortion is a widely practiced medical procedure in NSW and the rest of Australia, until recently it…
Negligence claim settled for Stillbirth | Our Client’s Story
We successfully settled our client’s claim for negligence for mental harm caused by mismanagement of her pregnancy which resulted in the tragic stillbirth of her daughter. Hospital failure to diagnose…