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Western Australia

WA public hospitals and health services use the online DATIX CIMS for clinical incident notification and management. Incidents are measured by a SAC rating. The SAC is based on the actual or potential consequence to the patient. The SAC has three ratings. SAC1 incidents include sentinel events.

  • SAC1: All clinical incidents/near misses where serious harm or death is/could be specifically caused by health care rather than the patient's underlying condition or illness.
  • SAC2: All clinical incidents/near misses where moderate harm is/could be specifically caused by health care rather than the patient's underlying condition or illness.
  • SAC3: All clinical incidents/near misses where minimal or no harm is/could be specifically caused by health care rather than the patient's underlying condition or illness.

While WA has not to-date contributed data to the national haemovigilance reports, the SAC ratings align with the clinical outcome severity defined in the ANHDD.

Table 43: WA SAC and ANHDD clinical outcome severity
SAC ANHDD
SAC1 Death Life threatening
SAC2 Severe morbidity
SAC3 Minor morbidity No morbidity

Reporting requirements for SAC incidents

SAC1 incidents including sentinel events

  • Notification of a SAC1 clinical incident is required to be submitted to DATIX CIMS (for public facilities) or equivalent (for private health facilities/organisations) by the end of the notifier's work day.
  • Mandatory reporting of SAC1 clinical incidents into DATIX CIMS.
  • Health services notify the WA Health Patient Safety Surveillance Unit (PSSU) of all SAC1 clinical incidents (including sentinel events) within seven working days of the event's occurrence.
  • Appropriate investigation for the reported incident(s) is conducted. Findings from the investigation(s) are reported to the PSSU within 28 working days of the event notification.
  • Health Services are required to implement and evaluate recommendations from clinical incident investigations within six months of completing the investigation report.
  • Health Services are also required to provide report updates to the PSSU on completed and evaluated SAC1 clinical incident recommendations on a six monthly basis.

Other SAC incidents

  • Health Services should have in place processes for the reporting and follow-up of SAC2 and SAC3 clinical incidents.
  • For public health facilities there is mandatory reporting of SAC2 clinical incidents into DATIX CIMS
  • SAC2 and SAC3 clinical incidents require the completion of investigation and actions taken within 60 working days of the clinical incident being notified.
  • The completion of the clinical incident form (notification and investigation sections) may be submitted as the final report for SAC2 and SAC3 clinical incidents.

Further information on Clinical Incident Management in WA can be found in the WA Health Clinical Incident Management Policy document at: http://www.safetyandquality.health.wa.gov.au/clinical_incid_man/aims.cfm

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