copy ofedia Release. 7th June 2008-06-05

(This release got us a spot on Prime TV evening news which I really appreciated - next stop hopefully the Coronors decision!!)

"Andrew Stoner MP for Oxley received the Mackay Family petition for lodging at NSW State Parliament 17th June 2008. Mr Stoner has been very helpful in agreeing to do this for us and the family and all those who signed our petition are grateful for his help.

The petition generated by the Mackay family asked that “We, the undersigned residents of and visitors to NSW request that the NSW State Premier and Health Minister ­ begin a full, independent and open investigation into the surgery, treatment, care and subsequent death of Donald William Mackay, as a result of the five weeks he spent in Royal North Shore Hospital between 11th April 2007 and 17th May 2007 (the day he died). We ask that those responsible if found culpable then be subject to disciplinary action. Our reasons are briefly – A RNSH Internal Investigation into Donald Mackay’s hospitalization and death, signed by RNSH’s Dr Hoyle who in writing, admitted many failures in Donald Mackay’s care; such failures, which we believe led directly to his death after five weeks of unimaginable suffering”


To date we have achieved over 2000 names on this petition and we are very happy with this as this was not a simple petition to explain to people and most people took the time to read and understand the issue before signing which was important to us. The collection of names was for the family very stressful as it necessitated reliving the dreadful treatment and death of my daughters’ father, and my sisters’ brother in law and my husband. We did this because he deserved justice for what happened to him and hopefully to ensure that we help in a small way to prevent the same happening to any person from this area forced to go to hospital in Sydney.

It is moving to understand that almost two thousand people felt strongly enough to become informed, sign and show that they support our fight to have a full investigation into Don Mackay’s death begun. Many people expressed shock at the level of suffering and the many mistakes made in his treatment which caused his death. That support makes us all the more determined to keep pushing to ensure that the truth comes out and that people are accountable as they should when a wrongful death is caused. "