The Special Committee Investigating Deaths Under Anaesthesia (SCIDUA) reviews deaths linked to anaesthesia or sedation in NSW to improve patient safety.
The committee reviews deaths that occur during, because of, or within 24 hours after anaesthesia or sedation. It looks for areas where different care may have led to a better outcome.
Since 1 September 2012, SCIDUA has also reviewed deaths linked to sedation.
The Secretary, NSW Health appoints SCIDUA under delegation from the Minister for Health. Members are practising clinicians and anaesthesia experts from a range of specialties and organisations. These include the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA), the Australian Society of Anaesthetists (ASA) and university departments. Members serve five-year terms, and the chair must be a practising anaesthetist.
The committee keeps all proceedings, documents and correspondence strictly confidential under section 23 of the Health Administration Act 1982.
SCIDUA started in 1960 and is the longest-running committee of its kind in the world. It has reviewed more than 10,000 deaths. In about 95% of cases, anaesthesia did not contribute to the death.
Committee members
- Dr Carl D'Souza, Chairman, BSc MBBS FANZCA, Visiting Medical Officer Anaesthetist, Royal North Shore Hospital
- Adjunct Professor Michael C. Nicholl, Ex-officio Member, MBBS MBA(PubSecMgt) PhD FRANZCOG FRCOG FCHSM FAAQHC, Chief Executive, Clinical Excellence Commission
- Dr Damien Boyd, Member, MBBS FANZCA, Senior Staff Specialist Anaesthetist, St Vincent's Hospital; Visiting Medical Officer Anaesthetist, St Vincent's Private Hospital
- Dr Jonathan Gibson, Member, MBBS FANZCA, Senior Staff Specialist Anaesthetist, Westmead Hospital; Visiting Medical Officer, Westmead Private Hospital
- Dr Sarah Johnston, Member, MBBS FANZCA, Staff Specialist Paediatric Anaesthetist, The Children's Hospital at Westmead
- Dr David McLeod, Member, MBBS FANZCA PGDip ECHO, Visiting Medical Officer Anaesthetist: Liverpool Hospital, Strathfield Private Hospital, Norwest Private Hospital, Private Anaesthetic Practice
- Dr Angela Suen, Member, MBBS BMedSc MClinMed (L&Mgt) FANZCA, Visiting Medical Officer Anaesthetist: Baringa Private Hospital, North Shore Private Hospital, Gold Coast Private Hospital
- Dr Benjamin Olesnicky, Member, BSc BMBS FANZCA, Visiting Medical Officer Anaesthetist, Head of Department, Royal North Shore Hospital; Visiting Medical Officer Anaesthetist: North Shore Private Hospital, Mater Private Hospital, Dubbo Private Hospital
- Dr David Elliott, Member, MBBS FANZCA, Visiting Medical Officer Anaesthetist: Lakeview Private Hospital, Westmead Private Hospital, Hunters Hill Private Hospital, Southern Highlands Private Hospital, Bowral District Hospital
Reporting and review process
Under the NSW Public Health Act 2010, health practitioners responsible for administering anaesthetic or sedative drugs must report deaths occurring while under, as a result of, or within 24 hours after administration of anaesthesia or sedation for medical, surgical, dental or investigative procedures.
Report a death using the anaesthesia or sedation death report form, SMR010511 (PDF 3.7 MB).
Completed forms can be submitted by mail or emailed to CEC-SCIDUA@health.nsw.gov.au.
All reported deaths are initially reviewed by a triage subcommittee, which may classify the case as unrelated to factors under the practitioner’s control or request further information from the reporting practitioner, including the SCIDUA questionnaire and relevant anaesthetic documentation, before referring the case to the full committee for review.
Cases are de-identified and distributed confidentially to committee members for peer review using the nationally recognised Anaesthetic Mortality Classification system. Following review, the chairperson provides confidential feedback to the reporting practitioner.
Review documents
Reports and publications
SCIDUA communicates its findings through:
- confidential correspondence with reporting practitioners
- annual reports to the Minister for Health, including anonymised case studies and key clinical learnings arising from committee reviews
- contributions to the ANZCA mortality working group and national triennial reporting
- publications in peer-reviewed journals and other educational resources
The committee also publishes reports and educational resources to support clinician education and promote discussion around patient safety, peri-operative decision-making and anaesthesia-related mortality trends in NSW.
Annual reports
Reports from 2019 and earlier are available upon request.
Publications
- Futile surgery in NSW: Lessons from SCIDUA 2010–2020 (PDF 1.9 MB)
- Casebook: Learning from case reviews 2015 (PDF 3.7 MB)
- Special reports (PDF 828.7 KB)
- Joint forum reports (PDF 828.7 KB)