‘Furious’ Queensland man claims hospital failed to tell him of cancer diagnosis

A man is “furious” that he’s fallen through the cracks at an embattled regional Queensland hospital after he was allegedly not told of his cancer diagnosis or offered treatment options.

A man is “furious” that he’s fallen through the cracks at an embattled regional Queensland hospital after he was allegedly not told of his cancer diagnosis or offered treatment options.

Roger Cross, 76 from Airlie Beach, said Mackay Base Hospital failed to tell him cancer was detected in his biopsy, leaving him and his doctor to uncover the results themselves through his online public patient record.

Mr Cross suffered an enlarged prostate for three years, and was told to get a biopsy following abnormal results from a blood test.

On October 7, he underwent the biopsy at Mackay Base Hospital and was told by staff that the results would take up to a fortnight to come back.

Almost three weeks later, on October 26, Mr Cross went to his doctor to ask if the results had come back as hadn’t been contacted by the hospital yet.

Mr Cross said the doctor also hadn’t been contacted by the hospital at the time of the appointment, which encouraged him to check Mr Cross’ public record online.

Roger Cross from Airlie Beach claims he was not informed that he had prostate cancer after a biopsy at Mackay Base Hospital on October 7. His GP was not contacted with the results but checked the public record to get them. He has not been contacted about treatment. Pic Tropix Photography

“The results were posted on the 21st of October on my public record that I had prostate cancer. They never told me,” he said.

Mr Cross said his doctor reached out to the hospital that day, while he himself rang both the Health Ombudsman and the Mackay Base Hospital to ask why his results weren’t sent through and why he wasn’t offered treatment options.

“I rang up the hospital afterwards and got someone in the urology department. She said it takes 35 days to investigate my complaint,” he said.

“I said ‘you’ve got to be joking I have cancer’. All I want is treatment. There’s nothing to investigate.”

Mr Cross said he was “furious” that he had fallen through the cracks in the system and as of Saturday, more than five weeks after his biopsy, still hadn’t been offered any treatment options.

“I can’t leave it untreated. Right now it’s contained within the prostate but if it gets out from there it will spread and become terminal,” he said.

“I can’t ignore it. If it was just a sprained ankle or if it was something else I could just wait, but it’s cancer. I can’t wait any longer.”

A spokesman for the Mackay Base Hospital said following a diagnostic procedure, the clinical team reviews the results and plans the next stage of care with the patient in partnership with their GP.

“We are unable to comment on these claims without the patient’s consent, however

Mackay HHS urges the patient’s GP to directly follow up with our surgical team. If they

need assistance with this process, we encourage them to reach out to the GP Liaison

Office,” he said.

It comes following weeks of controversy in the urology department at Mackay Base Hospital in the wake of the hospital’s only urologist currently on suspension.

Dr Daryl Stephens was the hospital’s only urologist at the time with Mackay HHS Interim chief executive Paula Foley saying urology services are continuing to be provided at the hospital with support for public and private partners, including emergency care.

“Cairns HHS is providing on-site urology support services to Mackay, in addition to telehealth services due to commence shortly,” she said.