Documents reveal bosses were aware of unsafe practices at hospital

The executive director of Caboolture Hospital was warned by a doctor last year that surgery was being booked with surgeons that did not have the capabilities to perform it.

Caboolture Hospital bosses were warned almost a year ago by a whistleblowing doctor who held grave fears for patients being operated on by surgeons that had not been trained in specific procedures.

Documents obtained by The Courier-Mail show Caboolture Hospital executive director Angie Dobbrick was made aware in September last year that surgery was being booked by surgeons that did not have the capabilities to perform it.

The whistleblower, who no longer works at the hospital, wrote to Ms Dobbrick regarding “poor surgical decision making, care that is not provided at an acceptable standard, a blatant disregard for prior patient outcomes and unwillingness to engage in robust audit and quality improvement processes or meaningful development”.

The extraordinary claims come as Health Minister Yvette D’Ath copped another grilling over allegations of substandard care at the hospital during parliament yesterday.

One current registered health professional at the hospital told The Courier-Mail on Tuesday they believed there were “hundreds” of patients’ files that deserve to be independently reviewed over concerns they have received substandard care.

Caboolture Hospital is under fire over concerns regarding patient safety. Picture Peter Wallis

The doctor, who has worked in multiple hospitals around the country, told his former boss they had never experienced such significant concerns about patient safety or been treated so poorly at any other hospital.

They said they felt compelled to go directly to Ms Dobbrick after earlier concerns raised had fallen on deaf ears.

“There is a prevailing culture of acceptance of (surgical) complications or poor outcomes under the guise that they are unavoidable and do not require scrutiny subsequent alteration in practice,” the letter said.

The experienced doctor said bullying behaviour from senior members of staff directed to more junior doctors was rife, and they were constantly being contacted by distraught junior doctors regarding their treatment.

“Earlier in the year I was witness to the most egregious example of bullying of junior staff I have ever seen … one exemplary junior staff member had to leave work and did not return for several days,” the complaint stated.

“The junior staff member was then made to feel unwelcome, uncomfortable and unworthy when interacting with senior staff.”

Following the doctor’s complaint Ms Dobbrick responded thanking the doctor for his “bravery” and said she took the concerns very seriously.

There’s no allegation of any wrongdoing by Ms Dobbrick in relation to the former staffer’s claims.

Angie Dobbrick Executive Director, Caboolture and Kilcoy Hospitals and Woodford Corrections Health at Queensland Health. Picture: LinkedIn

The doctor was later interviewed regarding the claims and revealed that one of their colleagues had attempted to book surgery for a patient following cancer treatment despite having never performed the procedure.

Official records of the interview also revealed that the multiple other operations had been booked that were “at the limits of (surgeons’) routine practice”.

Concerns regarding poor standards of care – evidenced by high levels of wound infections – were also raised during the meeting.

Under the “outcomes/s” section on the document it says Ms Dobbrick would be provided with a copy for “consideration”.

When asked what, if any, action was taken regarding the complaint a spokeswoman for Metro North said: “Due to privacy and confidentiality reasons, we are unable to provide specific information regarding actions taken”.

“Metro North Health is extremely confident in the safety and quality delivered at Caboolture

Hospital,” she said.

“All surgeons across Metro North Health are fully qualified with supervision provided 24/7 to

trainee doctors by the most senior members of the team.”

Queensland Health Minister Yvette D’'Ath. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

Ms D’Ath did not directly answer whether she could assure Queenslanders that no patients had been operated on by surgeons performing outside of their scope during Question Time on Tuesday.

Opposition Health spokeswoman Ros Bates asked Ms D’Ath yesterday whether she could guarantee the “Caboolture Hospital surgical crisis would not produce another “Jayant Patel” – referring to the Bundaberg Hospital surgeon convicted of negligence and linked to several patient deaths.

Ms D’Ath said it was “pretty appalling” the Opposition was describing the Caboolture Hospital as one in crisis after The Courier-Mail first reported on Monday that former and current staff members at hospital say they believe patients are dying and being maimed as result of poor care.

“All the matters that have been raised so far have been investigated,” the Minister said.

“At this time there is no finding of systemic failings.”

She said a phone line established for people to raise concerns about the hospital had received three calls in about 24 hours.

Ms Bates said she was becoming increasingly concerned that the State Government was not taking the situation seriously.

However, the Metro North spokeswoman assured the public it took all staff and patient claims incredibly seriously.

“Any and all claims are investigated thoroughly, including the claims raised,” she said.

“As the Caboolture region continues to grow, so does Caboolture Hospital’s surgical capability and specialty offerings. As such, Caboolture Hospital continues to attract an even

higher calibre of doctors with increased specialist skills allowing for greater surgical scope.”

Nurses Professional Association Queensland state secretary Aenghas Hopkinson-Pearson said the only way the public could have confidence in Caboolture Hospital was to allow a full-scale independent inquiry into patient care.