Melbourne woman declared dead by mistake after major hospital mix-up

Michelle Buckley was at home cooking dinner one night when her loved ones suddenly began receiving condolences for her death.

The horrific news followed a hospital identity mix-up that left her family grieving for a woman who was still very much alive.

In May, police discovered the body of a 54-year-old woman in the front yard of a home in Tarneit, in Melbourne’s west.

Local residents said the woman had been homeless and living rough in the area for four years.

The woman – who shared a similar age and name – was carrying Buckley’s personal ID and hospital files when she was found.

Believing the body was Buckley’s, police delivered the tragic news directly to her family.

The nightmare compounded when Buckley later discovered the dead woman’s entire medical history had merged onto her personal My Health Record.

Recalling the moment her loved ones received the news of her supposed death, she said the shock was overwhelming.

“I just felt like time stood still and I couldn’t believe what I was hearing,” she told ABC News.

“The whole family was devastated. My aunt had to go and stay with my cousins for a week or so because she was so upset.”

Slater and Gordon lawyer Kieren McKenzie, who is representing Buckley, described the blunder as unprecedented.

“I’ve never seen something like this,” McKenzie said.

“It has raised some questions for us as to how her medical details, sensitive information, and her intimate documents have been handled.”

It’s understood the dead woman had been in contact with Werribee Mercy Hospital for about six months and was misidentified from the very beginning.

Read more

Hollywood actress Rebel Wilson cleared of defaming Australian co-star

The woman reportedly alerted hospital staff to the identity error on four separate occasions, but no action was taken to rectify the records.

Victoria Police confirmed it was continuing to support Buckley and her family through the aftermath of the ordeal.

Mercy Health confirmed it had launched an internal review into how the identity mix-up occurred.

In a statement, a Mercy Health spokesperson issued an apology to those impacted:

“We are deeply sorry to the patients and family involved and to everyone affected. Every patient has the right to expect that their identity and health information are managed safely and accurately.”