Health Law: Patient Safety and the Law (LAWS70348)
Graduate coursework level 7Points: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
About this subject
Contact information
May
Teaching staff:
Ron Paterson ( Subject Coordinator)
Marie Bismark
For current student enquiries, contact the Law School Academic Support Office
Overview
| Availability(Quotas apply) | May |
|---|---|
| Fees | Look up fees |
This subject will examine patients’ expectations and legal rights when receiving health care, their avenues for complaint and compensation, transparency and accountability in the health sector, and the regulation of health practitioners. The focus will be on patients and health practitioners in Australia and New Zealand.
Indicative list of principal topics:
- Patient safety and healthcare quality
- Patients’ needs and rights following an adverse event
- Open disclosure and the duty of candour
- Transparency and accountability in the health sector
- The role of inquiries
- Legal duties of clinicians, managers and boards
- Health practitioner regulation (including the Australian Health Practitioner Regulatory Scheme)
- Health complaint systems in Australia and New Zealand.
Intended learning outcomes
A student who has successfully completed this subject will:
- Have an advanced and integrated understanding of the significance of patient safety as a health policy issue
- Be aware of the needs of patients following an adverse event
- Have critically examined the meaning of ‘open disclosure’, what it means and why it matters; and be able to provide a detailed critique of the concept and its practical operation.
- Be a well informed and engaged participant in debate regarding barriers to patient safety, including medical litigation
- Have a detailed understanding of the legal responsibilities of clinicians, managers and boards
- Be able to critically examine, analyse, interpret and assess the regulation of health professionals in Australia and New Zealand
- Have an advanced understanding of the use of regulatory levers to improve patient safety
- Have a sophisticated appreciation of health complaint systems in Australia and New Zealand
- Be able to demonstrate autonomy, expert judgment and responsibility as a practitioner and learner in the field of patients’ rights and public protection.
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
Corequisites
Non-allowed subjects
Recommended background knowledge
Applicants without legal qualifications should note that subjects are taught at an advanced graduate level and requires a thorough background in common law. While efforts are made to meet the needs of students trained in other fields, teaching and assessment activities are designed to give an advanced and integrated understanding of the discipline of law for legal practitioners, learners and researchers.
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Assessment
| Description | Timing | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
Research paper on a topic approved by the subject coordinator
| 16 July 2025 | 100% |
| Hurdle requirement: A minimum of 75% attendance is required. | Throughout the teaching period | N/A |
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Quotas apply to this subject
Dates & times
- May
Principal coordinator Ron Paterson Coordinator Marie Bismark Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 34 Total time commitment 150 hours Pre teaching start date 23 April 2025 Pre teaching requirements Please refer to the Reading Guide on the LMS subject page for confirmation of which resources need to be read and what other preparation is required before the teaching period commences. Teaching period 21 May 2025 to 27 May 2025 Last self-enrol date 28 April 2025 Census date 23 May 2025 Last date to withdraw without fail 4 July 2025 Assessment period ends 8 August 2025 May contact information
Teaching staff:
Ron Paterson ( Subject Coordinator)
Marie BismarkFor current student enquiries, contact the Law School Academic Support Office
What do these dates mean
Visit this webpage to find out about these key dates, including how they impact on:
- Your tuition fees, academic transcript and statements.
- And for Commonwealth Supported students, your:
- Student Learning Entitlement. This applies to all students enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP).
Subjects withdrawn after the census date (including up to the ‘last day to withdraw without fail’) count toward the Student Learning Entitlement.
Additional delivery details
Please refer to the Melbourne Law Masters enrolment webpage for further information about re-enrolment, subject quotas and waitlists.
Melbourne Law School may reserve places in a subject for incoming international cohorts or where a subject is core to a specialisation with limited alternate options.
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Further information
- Texts
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Type Name Course Graduate Diploma in Health and Medical Law Course Master of Laws Course Master of Health and Medical Law Course Graduate Diploma in Laws Course Juris Doctor - Links to additional information
- Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Please note Single Subject Studies via Community Access Program is not available to student visa holders or applicants
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
Additional information for this subject
If subject coordinator approval is required, or for further information about Community Access Program study, please contact us
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
Last updated: 4 March 2025