Mackay hospital chief Charles Pain suspended on full $500k pay
A suspended Qld hospital chief continues to receive a $500k salary while two doctors are paid to cover his position during an investigation into alleged clinical failures.
A chief medical officer (CMO) at a regional hospital has been suspended on full pay, the latest in a long line of controversies at the beleaguered health service.
Charles Pain, who has been suspended from his duties at the Mackay Base Hospital since September 28, 2024, has received his full $500k salary while awaiting the findings of an independent inquiry.
Media reports state that as well as paying Dr Pain his full salary, the Mackay Base Hospital also spent $321k in the 2024-25 financial year to employ two doctors to cover Dr Pain’s CMO position.
Dr Pain, who started at Mackay in October 2022, is under investigation for alleged poor clinical governance and credentialing and accreditation concerns, a media outlet states QIRC documents reveal.
It is another controversy for the scandal-plagued Mackay hospital, with previous unrelated investigations uncovering systematic failures in the hospital’s obstetrics and gynaecology departments.
It was revealed in July 2025 that Mackay Hospital and Health Service didn’t follow procedures when hiring senior medical officers, following a review commissioned in January by Queensland Health which examined how 37 senior medical officers were hired by MHHS between January 2023 and December 2024 and credentialed.
This review was followed by the resignation of Mackay Base Hospital CEO Susan Gannon in August 2025.
A Mackay Hospital and Health Service (MHHS) spokesperson said the hospital was unable to discuss specific, confidential human resource matters.
The MHHS spokesperson said the case was being considered by external agencies and it was not appropriate to make any further public comment at this time.
