Mackay Base Hospital review: Dr George Campbell Du Toit banned from practising surgery

The state’s health watchdog has banned a hospital director from practising surgery following a chorus of patient complaints about caesarean complications.

Queensland’s Health Ombudsman has banned Mackay Base Hospital’s former obstetrics and gynaecology director from practising surgery following a chorus of patient complaints about caesarean complications.

Under conditions from the state’s health watchdog Dr George Campbell Du Toit is also not able to “provide or have any involvement” in the care or treatment of pregnant women at any stage during labour and immediately after birth.

Dr Du Toit must also “not be the most senior person rostered on any shift when practising as a registered health practitioner”.

Mackay Base Hospital’s former obstetrics and gynaecology director Dr George Campbell Du Toit is banned from practising surgery. Picture: Tony Martin

The conditions will be in place until they are either the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal sets it aside or the Health Ombudsman removes it.

Mackay Hospital and Health Service suspended Dr Du Toit in October 2021 pending the outcome of an independent review and he resigned from the hospital in Mackay this year.

This comes after a string of women lodged complaints over caesarean complications including Mackay mother Amy Puddy, who was among those to come forward about her experience at the hospital when her first child Nate Andersen was born in March 2021.

It prompted an investigation report into the hospital’s obstetrics and gynaecology departments.

As a result, MHHS appointed two experienced and senior doctors to lead the probe, which began on November 1.

Late last month MHHS chief executive Lisa Davies Jones said the report’s completion date was expected to be in August.