The families of 19 elderly people who died during a COVID-19 outbreak at a Sydney aged care home will have to wait until early next year for a coroner's findings.
An inquest has been examining what happened at the Anglicare-run Newmarch House when coronavirus spread there in April and May 2020, leading to 37 out of 97 residents testing positive and 19 deaths.
On Friday, the final day of the 15-day inquest was told there would not be closing oral submissions, with a timetable for written submissions instead agreed to by lawyers assisting the coroner, families of those who died, as well as Anglicare and NSW Health.
"The parties will need time to prepare detailed written submissions," counsel assisting Simon Buchan SC said.
Deputy State Coroner Derek Lee said there would be "lengthy written findings", which would be handed down in the first three months of next year.
"I apologise for not being able to be more precise," he said.
A key focus of the inquiry, Mr Buchan previously submitted, was a decision to treat COVID-positive patients onsite rather than in hospital, with the facility's "Hospital in the Home" program coming under the spotlight.
The facility, in the western suburb of Kingswood, had problems with staffing, communication and management which negatively impacted residents, the barrister previously submitted.
Among evidence heard at the inquiry was that nurses were lax in enforcing isolation rules and left concerned families in the dark during a COVID-19 outbreak.
It also heard from deceased residents' family members who testified of flaws such as lack of empathy, poor business practice and bad communication.
Other failings included maintenance workers walking around without PPE when relatives were required to don the full get-up, the inquest was told.
Shine Lawyers associate Emily Clarke, who is running a class action for surviving relatives of the deceased, said the inquest confirmed the fears of many family members.
Ms Clarke said among the inquest's themes were inadequate staffing, that death was untimely and an unnecessary outcome of a COVID-19 outbreak, and that the outbreak at Newmarch House was poorly managed.
"I believe the Coroner will be looking very carefully at the involvement of Anglicare and the Federal and State governments responses," she said in a statement.
"Families are still waiting to hear from Anglicare and the NSW government. They want to know that they're sorry this happened to their families, sorry that they didn't get them out to hospital and sorry that they didn't save the lives of those who are no longer with us."
Australian Associated Press
