‘Medical emergency’ interrupts child sexual abuse commission of inquiry hearings

A medical emergency has interrupted hearings of Tasmania’s child sexual abuse commission of inquiry, in the midst of the tense examination of Launceston General Hospital’s former CEO.

A “MEDICAL emergency” has interrupted a public hearing of Tasmania’s child sexual abuse commission of inquiry, which unfolded during a tense examination of Launceston General Hospital’s former chief executive Stephen Ayre.

It is understood Mr Ayre collapsed while giving evidence, and required hospitalisation.

Prior to the medical emergency, hospital nursing and midwifery director Sue McBeath told the commission she had a conversation in February 2021 with Mr Ayre – who was CEO between 2004 and 2008 – about his prior knowledge of paedophile nurse James Geoffrey Griffin.

She said that conversation came in the wake of Camille Bianchi’s podcast The Nurse, which revealed Griffin’s identity in the media for the first time and the extent of his crimes.

“During that period, Stephen had been the CEO and so I expressed my shock and absolute horror at what was in the podcast,” Ms McBeath said.

“I said ‘I knew nothing of this’. And he said that he had been contacted by the police during the time that he was the CEO and that on the advice of HR he was advised to let the police investigation take its course.”

Ms McBeath – who previously held the role of nursing director overseeing the paediatric ward – said if she’d known Griffin was being investigated by police while she was in that role, she would have seen his “confused professional boundaries” as a newly qualified registered nurse as something “much more sinister”.

“I suppose I was shocked there had been evidence at that time,” she said.

“I would have seen (Griffin’s) behaviours differently had I known there was a police investigation … that’s really regrettable that I didn’t have that information. As a professional, duty of care is something we hold very strongly.”

Mr Ayre is currently medical services executive director of the statewide Tasmania Health Service.

He gave evidence after Ms McBeath, strongly denying he had previous knowledge of Griffin’s conduct from the time he was CEO of Launceston General Hospital.

“Did you disclose to her that you in 2021 had previous knowledge of Griffin’s conduct?” counsel assisting the commission, Elizabeth Bennett SC, asked.

“Absolutely not,” Dr Ayre responded.

“I told her that I hadn’t listened to the podcast and that I was surprised by the allegations that had come forward as other people were.”

He said he hadn’t spoken with Ms McBeath “at all” about Griffin’s conduct, not even what he’d subsequently learned about the paedophile in the wake of his arrest and death.

“I haven’t followed any of the information that was forthcoming from his death in 2019,” he said.

Ms Bennett suggested it was “an astonishing lack of curiosity” that Dr Ayre hadn’t made enquiries about a paedophile nurse that had worked on the children’s ward while he was CEO.

“I guess there was some interest in that but as I didn’t have any knowledge of that prior to 2019, I did not take particular interest,” Dr Ayre said.

“I had confidence that the system had actually addressed that issue.”

He admitted he realised in 2019 there was “something to learn from the example of Griffin” – although he took no steps to learn about what had unfolded and made no enquiries.

Due to give evidence on Friday were Peter Renshaw, the hospital’s executive director of medical services, who has received a number of child sexual abuse notifications during his decades-long tenure at the institution.

Also due to give evidence was Department of Health secretary Kathryn Morgan-Wicks.

The pair will now give evidence in August.

Ms Bennett told the commission the decision to adjourn was made given the effect of the medical emergency on those present in Launceston.

She noted “many nurses and police officers” responded to the incident and did so “with enormous professionalism and care and concern”.

The Launceston hearings will continue until July 8.

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Originally published as ‘Medical emergency’ interrupts child sexual abuse commission of inquiry hearings