Harbour Road Medical in Mackay suspended over coal miners’ lung tests

The premier says the mining watchdog will ensure every affected miner is re-examined after a medical practice was suspended for performing substandard lung disease tests. LATEST

Premier Steven Miles says the state’s mining watchdog will ensure every affected miner is re-examined after a medical practice was suspended for performing substandard lung disease tests

Resources Safety and Health Queensland (RSHQ) recently suspended Harbour Road Medical in Mackay after an audit revealed 30 per cent of their lung function (spirometry) tests were unacceptable and did not meet minimum quality standards.

Harbour Road Medical, which did not respond to the Daily Mercury’s request for comment, must contact all 135 coal mine workers impacted by the audit’s findings, as well as the workers’ employers and doctors.

Mr Miles said he believed RSHQ had “done the right thing” in suspending the practice.

Premier Steven Miles has said no one takes workplace health and safety more seriously than himself following the suspension of a Mackay medical practice. Picture: Liam Kidston

“They will now ensure that everyone whose tests are in doubt are retested, but what I can assure you is that nobody takes workplace health and safety more seriously than I do,” Mr Miles said.

“No worker should be at risk of injury or death just for going to work.

“That’s why we have these tough mine safety laws and why we have this extensive screening for resource related diseases.”

A RSHQ spokeswoman revealed 501 workers across all Queensland resources sectors were diagnosed with mine dust lung diseases between 2015 to 2024, with almost one in five of those having worked at a coal mine.

The increase in diagnoses comes off the back of relentless campaigns, led by the likes of the late Arch Tudehope who was a founding member of the Black Lungs Victim Group, to support screening for the disease.

RSHQ’s recent audit examined more than 5000 spirometry tests across 100 Queensland practices as the mine safety watchdog confirmed the suspension of Mackay Harbour Medical only applied to spirometry testing of coal mine workers at the centre.

Mackay general practice Harbour Road Medical is located at 47 Harbour Rd, North Mackay. Picture: Janessa Ekert

“While RSHQ can’t comment on this matter specifically, generally prior to the end of the suspension period RSHQ will engage a suspended provider to ensure they have made improvements to meet the relevant testing standards,” RSHQ health strategy and compliance director Patrick Jensen said.

The RSHQ audit found the spirometry practice failed to conduct the tests effectively; identify issues in the test results; maintain accurate comments, leading to incorrect test interpretation; and repeat tests multiple times to the same level as required.

“If RSHQ believes a suspended provider has not improved or met those standards, we have the ability to cancel the provider’s approval to conduct medical screening and testing for coal mine workers,” Mr Jensen said.

He recommended the 135 affected workers get a repeat spirometry test.

“The re-identification of black lung disease in Queensland in 2015 highlighted the importance of ensuring medical screening is of a high standard and the consequences when this isn’t the case,” Mr Jensen said.

Mackay general practice Harbour Road Medical is located at 47 Harbour Rd, North Mackay. Picture: Janessa Ekert

There are eight RSHQ approved spirometry practices in the Mackay region and under the audit, Harbour Road Medical is the only approved spirometry practice to be suspended.

“While we always work with medical providers to improve screening quality through education and advice, we don’t shy away from taking appropriate regulatory action where necessary to protect workers’ health and safety,” Mr Jensen said.

“The risk of undetected mine dust lung disease is low. Tens of thousands of spirometry tests for Queensland coal mine workers are conducted each year across over 100 practices.”

The operation of ResHealth, the mandatory digital system for the completion of health assessments, assisted in ensuring the quality of medical examinations.

“ResHealth provides a centralised point for health assessment records, which has made the analysis of disease data easier and better allows us to conduct timely assessments of medical screening,” Mr Jensen said.