‘Turning a blind eye’: denying people their right to treatment for acute alcohol, drug and mental health conditions – an act of discrimination

Abstract

Background: Australians seeking health care from any public hospital have the right to non-discriminatory safe medical assessment, treatment and nursing care. The literature clearly indicates that people presenting to public hospitals with acute alcohol- or drug-related conditions are at risk of dying by being denied medical and nursing treatment. This denial of treatment is on the basis that their presumed condition is solely drug- and alcohol-related. There is often even a greater risk for Aboriginal people who present for treatment. This literature comprises reports from coronial inquiries, police incidents, safety audits, and critical incidents in health services, and anecdotal information from specialist drug and alcohol nurses. Such violation of this vulnerable population's right to safe health care has often resulted in suicide and other preventable deaths, disability and exacerbation of physical and mental illness. Method: A critique was conducted of recent available Australian ‘grey’ literature c...