Toddler Joe Massa died after being treated at Northern Beaches Hospital. (Supplied)
In short:
The NSW government will overhaul the 'REACH' health system and rename it 'Joe's rule' after toddler Joe Massa.
The two-year-old died from cardiac arrest after being treated at Northern Beaches Hospital last September.
The government will order probes into Joe’s care and the Northern Beaches Hospital’s emergency department.
The process for triggering an urgent, independent review into the care of a deteriorating patient will be overhauled, following the death of a toddler treated at Sydney's Northern Beaches Hospital.
NSW Premier Chris Minns agreed to improving the way to escalate concerns about a patient's condition after meeting with the grieving parents of two-year-old Joe Massa on Wednesday afternoon.
"Today's a big win for Joe and for every child in New South Wales because we're making change," said the boy's mother, Elouise Massa.
In September last year, Joe's parents took him to the emergency department after he vomited during the night.
Despite a dangerously high heart rate and a severe loss of fluid, he was kept waiting two-and-a-half hours for a bed.
Joe's parents, Elouise and Danny Massa, spoke to the media as Ms Massa held up one of her son's shoes. (ABC News: Nick Dole)
Staff wrongly triaged him as a less serious category of patient and refused his parents' requests for him to be given intravenous fluid.
Joe suffered a cardiac arrest and was transferred to Sydney Children's Hospital in Randwick, where he died due to brain damage.
Health protocol to be renamed 'Joe's Rule'
The government already has a system in place for family members and carers to raise concerns about "worrying changes" in a patient's condition.
The protocol — called 'REACH' — advises loved ones to first speak to a nurse or doctor about their concerns, then ask for a "clinical review".
If the relative or carer is still worried, they are advised to call the hospital's 'REACH' number, which triggers an independent review of the patient's treatment.
Following the meeting with the Massas, the government has committed to holding a roundtable on strengthening 'REACH' and renaming it 'Joe's Rule'.
This would mirror 'Ryan's Rule', which was a similar process developed in Queensland following the death of two-year-old Ryan Saunders from undiagnosed toxic shock.
NSW Premier Chris Minns agreed to improve the way to escalate concerns about a patient’s condition after meeting with Joe's parents. (ABC News: Ethan Rix)
Ms Massa, who went public with her son's story last week, said the changes would create a "more robust" way for every person in NSW to know their rights.
"We know that had 'REACH' been enacted properly, and had there been awareness raised for it, I truly believe Joe could most likely be here today," she said.
Joe's father, Danny Massa, said there was an intention to simplify 'REACH' from a "five-word acronym" into "something that's digestible" for a stressed parent in an emergency department.
"We know that Joe's life mattered, but I think we have a sense of relief that […] his death will also matter," Mr Massa said.
Government to look into arrangements with Healthscope
The government will order probes into Joe's care and the Northern Beaches Hospital's emergency department generally. It will also request a coronial inquest into Joe's death.
The premier is also open to legislating a ban on public hospitals outsourcing operations to private companies, like at Northern Beaches Hospital.
Minns promises answers over 2yo’s death in Sydney hospital
Photo shows A young boy holding plants in a backyard and smiling.
The government is also looking into its arrangements with private provider Healthscope, which is contracted to run the public section of the hospital until 2038.
"We have grave concerns about it operating in its current form,"
Ms Massa said.
NSW Health Minister Ryan Park, who met with the Massas alongside the premier and NSW Health Secretary Susan Pearce, said the government intended to "immediately" progress some of the ideas the family put forward.
But Mr Park warned some of the issues would take more time and require "careful consideration" due to their complexity.
"I, like the Massas, want meaningful and substantive change to be implemented as quickly as possible, but I also want to get this right," he said.
Ms Massa said she had given the premier one of Joe's favourite shoes to keep on his desk as a reminder of her son's case.
"So that we can continue discussions, and we can continue to make sure the promises made today will be followed through," she said.