Petition Duty of care requirements for high‑risk patients who miss medical appointments

The petition of certain citizens of the State of Victoria draws to the attention of the Legislative Council that two members of the same family died in preventable circumstances after missing medical appointments where no follow‑up call, welfare check, or escalation protocol was initiated. These deaths occurred in 2023 and 2025, involved different clinics, and yet the failures were identical. Both individuals were high‑risk patients with known medical vulnerabilities, and both were later found deceased at home.

There is currently no mandatory requirement in Victoria for medical clinics to follow up high‑risk patients who miss scheduled appointments. Existing guidelines do not specify when a welfare check should be initiated, how risk should be assessed after a missed appointment, or what escalation steps clinics must take when a vulnerable patient cannot be contacted. As a result, high‑risk patients may be left without any safety net, even when non‑attendance may indicate deterioration, crisis, or medical emergency. These two deaths demonstrate a systemic gap in duty of care protections. Without clear, enforceable follow‑up requirements, vulnerable patients remain at significant risk of preventable harm.

Action is required to ensure consistent statewide standards that protect high‑risk patients and prevent further avoidable deaths. Specifically, the creation of mandatory follow‑up protocols requiring clinics to contact high-risk patients who do not attend scheduled appointments, the establishment of welfare check triggers when a high-risk patient cannot be reached, and the development of standardised escalation pathways for missed appointments involving vulnerable patients. Documentation and communication standards should also be strengthened to ensure all follow-up attempts are recorded, and a requirement that coronial and regulatory bodies review systemic patterns when multiple preventable deaths occur under similar circumstances. These reforms aim to prevent further avoidable deaths.

The petitioners therefore request that the Legislative Council call on the Government to introduce clear and enforceable duty of care requirements for high‑risk patients who miss medical appointments.