RAH stroke deaths inquest hears third patient may have died if not for surgery cancellation
A SENIOR doctor called into the RAH for emergency procedures on two stroke patients during a rostering blunder says a third patient may have died if not for a surgery cancellation, documents reveal.
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A SENIOR doctor who was called into the Royal Adelaide Hospital to do emergency procedures on two stroke patients during a rostering blunder says a third may have died if not for a surgery cancellation, documents reveal.
On Tuesday, Flinders Medical Centre radiologist Dr Steve Chryssidis told State Coroner Mark Johns that he was being “frozen out” of the Interventional Neuro-Radiology (INR) service at the RAH.
He said for some aneurysm procedures, the service would prefer to have an INR specialist on standby to fly in from Melbourne or have RAH neurosurgeons perform alternate procedures instead of ask for his help.
“It was clear I was being frozen out of the service,” he said.
Dr Chryssidis was called in to the RAH to perform clot retrievals on stroke patients Michael John Russell, 60, and Leslie Robert Graham, 87, whose deaths are now the subject of a coronial inquest.
The men died when the hospital’s only two INR specialists — Dr James Taylor and Dr Rebecca Scroop — were on leave at the same time in April.
The procedures were performed by Dr Chryssidis — SA’s only other registered INR specialist — but were unsuccessful.
Both deaths have shed light on a wide range of staffing issues with radiology across Adelaide.
Dr Chryssidis told the inquest that his concerns about the INR service at the RAH dated back a decade and his attempts to raise it with management were fruitless.
He said he predicted the need for INR services across the state would increase and it would need more specialists available to perform procedures.
“It became apparent there was a culture of no change at RAH radiology,” he said.
He said at times he felt bullied and his procedural ability had been questioned by Dr Scroop without warrant.
“I felt I had more than proven myself,” he said.
In his statement, he details a further two incidents, similar to Mr Russell and Mr Graham, where he had to remove blood clots while Dr Taylor and Dr Scroop were unavailable.
“There were two further occasions, on 21 and 29 April, 2017, where I was called in similar circumstances to the RAH to perform procedures on Mr Jay Mundy and Ms Eva Winkler,” he stated.
“In both of those cases, I was able to either successfully remove their clots or improve blood flow to the brain.”
He said in Mr Mundy’s case, he had been scheduled to perform surgery at Calvary Wakefield Hospital when he received the emergency call from the RAH.
“Fortuitously, the patient on whom I was to perform the surgery was unwell that day and, on the basis of the anaesthetist’s advice, it was determined to abandon the procedure,” he said in his statement.
“Had that not been the case, I would not have been in a position to attend at the RAH for Mr Mundy’s case.
“I note that Mr Mundy was only 38 years of age and the clot was in the basilar artery. The consequences of my not being able to operate on him, and remove his blood clot, could well have been the death of this patient.”
On Monday, the inquest heard allegations of a staff love affair turned sour, rorting overtime, industrial blackmail and bullying between radiologists at the RAH.
Former RAH radiology head Dr Mary Moss said personal difficulties between the three INR specialists “were apparent from the day I started”.
Dr Chryssidis made a professional misconduct complaint against Dr Scroop — which was substantiated — after blocked him from doing a brain procedure.
The inquest also heard Dr Taylor had an affair with another radiologist, Dr Suzanne McKeen, which caused further tension in the radiology department.
RAH acting head of radiology, Dr Jim Buckley, has previously told the inquest the rostering blunder was an “error” while Mr Johns has questioned the hospital’s “casual” approach to health administration.
An internal SA Health review found there had been “longstanding, territorial” issues between the three stroke specialists employed by SA Medical Imaging — Dr Taylor, Dr Scroop and Dr Chryssidis.
The inquest has previously heard Dr Scroop and Dr Taylor receive more than $1.1 million a year each to cover the 24-hour INR service at the RAH.
Dr Taylor and Dr Scroop will give evidence later. The inquest continues.