St Vincent’s chemo scandal: Report shows hospital underdosing case mounting

A DAMNING investigation into the St Vincent’s chemo scandal has found more than 20 new patients were given “off protocol” low drug doses.

St Vincent's Hospital, Darlinghurst.

• HEALTH MINISTER SKINNER RECEIVES FINAL REPORT
• TOO MANY FAILURES OF CLINICAL GOVERNANCE

A DAMNING six-month investigation into the St Vincent’s chemo scandal has found more than 20 new patients were given “off protocol” low drug doses by senior oncologist Dr John Grygiel in addition to the 78 already known about in March.

Under-fire Health Minister Jillian Skinner is due to publish the final report on the scandal today, along with a preliminary report on the deadly Bankstown Hospital gas mix-up.

Ms Skinner faced calls to resign last week after a baby died and another suffered brain damage at Bankstown Hospital after being given nitrous oxide instead of oxygen. Neither families were told for days what really happened.

The final report on the chemo scandal reveals the number of patients Dr Grygiel gave low doses of chemo drug Carboplatin to at St Vincent’s has grown to around 100.

NSW Health Minister Jillian Skinner.

Dr John Grygiel.

This is up from 78 patients in March, when the investigation by Cancer Institute boss Professor David Currow was expanded back to 2006, the year dosing protocols began.

A further report on Dr Grygiel’s work at public hospitals in Orange and Bathurst is not due to be published until September.

The hospital began contacting the families of the newly identified patients on Friday. “We acknowledge the distress experienced by patients and families and the unnecessary anxiety it has caused them.” said St Vincent’s CEO Toby Hall. “Once again, we say to them: we are deeply sorry for letting you down in this way.”

Of the initial 78 patients found to be affected at St Vincent’s, 30 later died, including at least 23 from cancer.

Prof Currow’s final report is understood to make no definitive link between the deaths or cancer recurrence rates and Dr Grygiel’s treatments.

In his interim report, Prof Currow said a “failure to adhere to protocols is likely to result in higher rates of local recurrence and higher overall mortality”.

Of the initial 78 patients found to be affected at St Vincent’s, 30 later died, including at least 23 from cancer / Picture: Gordon McComiskie

Dr Grygiel was interviewed as part of the investigation and sources claim he provided little justification for his treatments in terms of scientific trials or other evidence.

“All my clinical decisions when treating patients have been driven by my concern that they receive the best possible treatment,” Dr Grygiel told the Daily Telegraph.

“I have co-operated fully with these investigations and intend to continue to do so.

“I believe that the decisions I took were in the best interests of each patient. I haven’t seen the final report, but I am not aware of any evidence that the dosage I used was less effective than the guideline dose.”

It is understood Dr Grygiel remains on sick leave from the hospital. Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency records show his medical registration is due to expire on September 30.

Prof Currow’s interim report was highly critical of St Vincent’s Hospital, which did not notify any of the affected patients until at least six months after the issue was first discovered, leading to allegations of a cover-up.

St Vincent’s “internalised” the situation “when there should have been ... more immediate openness with patients”, Prof Currow wrote.

The hospital initially claimed no patients suffered as a result of the “dosage issue” and Dr Grygiel was “immediately counselled and placed under supervision” — but neither statement was accurate, Prof Currow found.

The hospital began contacting the families of the newly identified patients on Friday.