Arabic version: خلط في هوية مريضة يدفع إلى إعلان وفاة امرأة من ملبورن بالخطأ

According to ABC News, Melbourne woman Michelle Buckley’s relatives were wrongly told she had died after a hospital identity mix-up led police to initially identify a deceased woman as her. Werribee Mercy Hospital has apologised and says it is reviewing the incident.

Buckley, 54, said her former partner received a message on a Saturday night in May offering condolences for her death. Her family then called in shock after Queensland Police, acting at the request of Victoria Police, told her brother she had died. Buckley said the error left relatives shaken and traumatised.

Police said a woman found outside a Tarneit residence on May 13 was initially identified as Buckley because documents carrying her details were found in the deceased woman’s possession. The deceased was later identified as a 55-year-old woman. Police said the death was not being treated as suspicious and confirmed they had apologised to Buckley for the distress caused.

Buckley later discovered that medical information belonging to the deceased woman had been added to her My Health Record, including hospital appointments and tests dating back months. Mercy Health confirmed that another consumer with a very similar name had been managed under Buckley’s name, resulting in unrelated entries being added to her file.

During an open disclosure meeting, a hospital representative told Buckley the other woman had raised concerns about incorrect personal details on four occasions before her death, but no action was taken. Buckley has engaged Slater and Gordon to investigate the matter. Mercy Health said it was undertaking a thorough review of its patient-identification processes, while Buckley said she was still working to correct her medical records.