Second anaesthetist quits Northern Beaches Hospital

A second anaesthetist has resigned from the new $600 million Northern Beaches Hospital, following a string of concerns raised since the facility opened on October 30.

Another resignation at Northern Beaches Hospital. Picture: Julie Cross.

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A second anaesthetist has resigned from the new $600 million Northern Beaches Hospital, following a string of concerns raised since the facility opened on October 30.

The ABC reported on Monday, that a senior anaesthetist had resigned on November 23.

A source from the hospital told the Manly Daily the first anaesthetist who resigned was “very sensible and respected” and “would have solid reasoning behind his stand”.

The second shock resignation is believed to have happened today.

Staff at the Frenchs Forest hospital have complained about a lack of medical supplies and training as well as staff shortages in the first few weeks of the hospital opening.

The insider said there were still some staffing concerns among anaesthetists.

However, private operator Healthscope insist there is no issue with staffing in that department and that there are anaesthetists on call as well as those rostered on.

Another concern is communication.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard addresses concerns about the new hospital. Andrew Leeson

Staff were given iPhones after problems with the pagers.

If there is a Code Blue, which is when a patient somewhere else in the hospital needs emergency help, that is how doctors contact each other.

The landlines are also unreliable, the staffer claimed.

“Staff rely on their mobile phones to contact one another, as the other landline phones regularly go dead,” said the hospital staffer.

“ED was out for a day last week.

“Randomly parts of the hospital have no working phones.”

Reports from a staff member that ICU and operating theatres were still having essential drug shortages last week, has been denied by Healthscope.

“When what you need is on the shelves then, ‘happy days’, but the ordering system is not keeping up with demand,” said the source.

Northern Beaches Hospital has been beset with problems since it opened on October 30.

As well as staff complaining, patients have reported issues over waiting times and staff not being able to operate new machinery, as well as missing out on meals.

Both the Australian Salaried Medical Officers Federation (ASMOF) and the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association (NSWNMA) said they would be watching and waiting over the next few weeks to see whether the situation improved.

Dr Tony Sara of ASMOF told the Manly Daily last week, union officials were having weekly meetings with Healthscope.

“Healthscope is very committed to resolving the issues raised by the young doctors,” he said.

“We are hopeful that the issues will be fixed in a safe, optimum way as soon as practical.”

Among some of the issues doctors have raised and which Healthscope is making a priority include staffing, workload management, resuscitation trolley stocking and checking, improvements to the paging system and communications, better switchboard performance, improved admissions and allocation of patients to senior doctors and clarification of policy.

The NSWNMA also said it was keen to give the hospital a couple of weeks to resolve the issues.