Tensions escalate again at Concord Hospital as unchecked radiology scans double

Tensions have escalated again at Concord Hospital as a backlog of unchecked radiology scans doubled to more than 50,000. See what happened.

Escalating tensions at the beleaguered Concord Hospital have erupted again into another vote of no confidence in health officials as a backlog of unchecked radiology scans doubled to more than 50,000 and patients have been left in the dark.

Concord Medical Staff Council members passed a vote of no confidence in the Sydney Local Health District Board (SLHD) as senior doctors said patients must be told the truth so they can consider getting their scans redone elsewhere – for the sake of their own health.

At a meeting on Thursday night, the Council was told another radiologist at Concord had quit putting further pressure on the department.

Sydney Local Health District Chief Executive Dr Teresa Anderson. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Bianca De Marchi

A staff member not authorised to speak publicly said a current review commissioned after staff revolted in June was only looking at “cultural problems” within the hospital but not the real problems of accountability and poor decision-making which has been demonstrated by the failure to act to tell patients they had been affected about the dire situation.

More than 120 staff attending the meeting and almost 60 per cent passed a motion of no confidence in the SLHD after an address by board chairman, former Liberal Government Minister John Ajaka in which he said the Board were “sorry” so many of the staff were distressed.

The problems in the Radiology Department are just one of a number of problems that have boiled over at Concord Hospital, sparking a vote of no confidence in June in the chief executive of the SLHD Dr Teresa Anderson.

Doctors, nurses and health staff have been calling for a parliamentary inquiry into the behind the scenes management of a string of major Sydney hospitals.

Former Liberal Government Minister John Ajaka said the Board were “sorry” so many of the staff were distressed.

Health Minister Ryan Park subsequently announced an independent process in an attempt to resolve a litany of problems facilitated by an external team under direction of the Board Members of the Sydney Local Health District.

But Concord staff members said the problems are spiralling and bureaucrats “have had years to fix these problems.

Staff want to know if and when patients will be told the truth about their scans so they can make a choice about getting more tests done.

“You have to ask what harm has been done to the patients?” one doctor asked.

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