‘Kicked me out’: Legendary veteran surgeon claims hospital ban

One of Australia’s most respected doctors claims he was ousted from the Brisbane hospital he worked in for 31 years for being “outspoken” during private rounds.

Professor Russell Strong.

One of Australia’s most respected doctors says has been banned from Princess Alexandra Hospital where he worked for 31 years for being “outspoken”.

Dr Russell Strong was barred from weekly rounds for mildly suggesting at a private talkfest that a surgery may have been done better, his colleagues said.

Strong, whose pioneering liver transplant work won international acclaim, told me he was no longer welcome at “grand surgical rounds” held each in the Russell Strong Auditorium named in his honour.

And his car park security pass was cancelled, without warning, leaving him blocked outside the boom gate.

“They kicked me out. They’ve told me they no longer want me in the place,” he said. “They said you are a pain in arse, a nuisance, you’re outspoken et cetera, et cetera.”

Strong said he asked Dr Jeremy Wellwood, PA’s executive director, what would happen to the Russell Strong Auditorium.

“Would the name be taken away like the Lady Cilento name was taken from the children’s hospital, I asked. No, it would not, you’re a legend,” he said he was told. Princess Alexandra confirmed Strong had retired but denied he was “banned”.

Professor Russell Strong, a pioneering liver transplant surgeon. Photo: David Kelly

A senior hospital figure declined to be interviewed but in a written statement said Strong enjoyed the same access “as any member of the general public”.

And Strong would be welcomed at significant events and ceremonies.

“Professor Strong has not been banned from the PA Hospital,” the spokesman said.

“When a staff member retires and is no longer an employee of the hospital, there is a standard process that is followed which includes the returning of hospital property.”

The hospital also issued what I thought was a rather curious media “background” comment.

“Professor Strong is no longer a registered medical practitioner and is therefore not required to adhere to the Good Medical Practice Guidelines set out by the Medical Board of Australia, which includes maintaining patient confidentiality.”

Strong told me he quit clinical duties some time ago but had been invited back by senior surgeons to advise junior surgeons, write a history of the hospital and to help refocus nine specialist surgeries that sit under the general surgery umbrella.

Strong had a “broom cupboard” office with no phone, yet clinicians often queued up to get his advice.

“I started at PA 51 years ago and I’m 86 now but I was still going in four or five mornings a week from 6am,” Strong said.

“I don’t do any clinical work, but I am still writing and helping.”

Moves to oust him have caused controversy throughout the medical and nursing fraternity.

“To push him out was not the right thing to do,” said a doctor with intimate knowledge of the controversy. He said Strong was banned from coming to “grand rounds” in the very place where his portrait hangs.

He said the meetings were valuable with surgeons talking about interesting cases or “amazing” changes in procedures, sometimes involving new technologies.

Once a month Strong also attended the meeting to review cases in which people had died or suffered serious complications after surgery.

It used to be called the morbidity and mortality meeting.

“The problem for Russell is we live in a new era now. You can’t suggest that anyone has done anything incorrectly, or that something was not done absolutely perfectly. You have to watch what you say,” said a doctor. However, there may be discussions about “things that might have been done a bit better”.

The Emergency Dpt at the PA Hospital.

“But there was no shit thrown, or any accusations like: ‘You f – ked that up’,” he said. “Russell wasn’t outspoken in my view. I was actually there. A lot of people are talking about this but they weren’t there. I was in that session. The patient didn’t die but there was an outcome that could have been better. It was not as it should have been.”

He said Strong made some “helpful points” but someone in the room “took it as a criticism … the problem in the modern era is you can’t say anything that will offend anyone’.’

Strong politely told a doctor: “Maybe you should have considered such and such.’’

“It was a very mild thing. The next thing I heard it had gone right up to the chiefs who told him that he can’t go to rounds any more.

“He is banned from that.

“It is useful to hear his opinion because he is very experienced and has seen it all before.

“But you have just got to be very careful about what you say.”

Another doctor said he no longer made comments at grand rounds for fear of offending someone as Strong had done.

He wondered what doctors can now say to each other.

“Even if the patients dies, you’ve got to say: ‘That was a fantastic job’.”