Chemotherapy bungle inquiry held in secret after hearing SA Health ‘utterly insulted’ victim and family

THE daughter of one of SA’s chemo bungle victims has told an inquiry the family received no explanation or empathy from clinicians when they were informed her father’s underdosing.

Rebecca Emery, the daughter of chemotherapy bungle victim Chris McRae, gives evidence to parliamentary inquiry. Pic: Tait Schmaal

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ONE of the most senior health public servants — at the heart of the chemotherapy bungle — has banned the media from hearing her evidence into the underdosing scandal.

Speaking via Skype, Belinda Moyes, former chief executive of the Southern Adelaide Health Network, requested Wednesday’s parliamentary inquiry be held behind closed doors.

Ms Moyes claimed she had been “borderline harassed” by the media and her comments should only be released publicly in the Hansard transcript — expected to be released later on Wednesday.

The inquiry, headed by the Liberal member Andrew McLachlan, approved the request and evicted media from the hearing.

Only moments earlier, the daughter of Chris McRae, a victim of the chemotherapy bungle who died in November, told how SA Health and clinicians had insulted her family.

Rebecca Emery said no empathy or explanation was given to her family when they were told the underdosing had occurred.

“(The treating doctor) seemed shocked we were asking for explanations,” Ms Emery said.

“We all felt she was very defensive about the whole situation and focused on the high mortality rates for the illness dad had, rather than offering any kind of support.

“At that point we were still trying to process the news we had received, while then felt like it was almost a slap in the face that we were questioning how this occurred.”

SA Health later issued the family a Freedom of Information request when they asked to see that the proper reporting of Chris’ underdosing had occurred.

“We wanted to ensure all the correct reporting had taken place and Professor Willis informed us, at that time, all the reporting had taken place,” Ms Emery said.

“For our piece of mind ... we requested to see a copy of reporting as an insurance policy to make sure it had all been actioned according to required policy and procedures.”

Ms Emery said the document was “still a mystery”.

She said an initial $5000 compensation letter had also been “utterly insulting” and “undoubtedly” had an impact on her father’s ill health.

“Who has the right to say that regardless of what happened, ‘we don’t know if it (the right treatment) would’ve made any difference’,” Ms Emery said.

“He was entitled to receive the proper treatment and that didn’t happen, end of story.

“He and the nine other victims should never have to have that playing their heads for the rest of their lives, wondering would it have made a difference.”

Ms Emery’s evidence was a day after the architect of an independent review into the scandal warned another major mistake is possible.

Ms Emery echoed Opposition Health Minister Stephen Wade’s calls for a judicial inquiry into the bungle.