Doctors pass vote of no confidence in Northern Beaches Hospital medical director

Senior doctors have passed a vote of no-confidence in the medical director of the Northern Beaches Hospital the day its chief executive resigned amid mounting crises that have tarnished the lustre of Sydney's newest hospital.

The Medical Staff Council unanimously supported the incisive move against the hospital's director of medical services Louise Messara at an extraordinary meeting on Wednesday night, the Herald understands.

A response has been sought from the hospital's operator Healthscope, Australia's second-largest private hospital operator.

The specialists' judgment of Dr Messara followed the resignation of chief executive Deborah Latta on Wednesday morning.

Ms Latta quit two days after she celebrated the official opening of the $600 million public-private hospital.

Louise MessaraCredit: Simon Alekna

The 488-bed facility has been marred by chronic understaffing, cancelled surgeries and shortages of vital drugs and medical supplies.

On Tuesday the Herald revealed anaesthetists threatened to cancel elective surgery and the Medical Staff Council had called a crisis meeting over concerns for patient and staff safety within hours of the public-private hospital’s official opening.

At Wednesday night's meeting, Healthscope’s chief medical officer Victoria Atkinson gave a rousing speech to a packed meeting of senior doctors, the Herald has been told.

Dr Atkinson offered an apology on behalf of Healthscope and committed to change the culture of hospital management.

Deborah Latta has quit as CEO of the new Northern Beaches Hospital.Credit: Dominic Lorrimer

A doctor who attended the meeting said there had been an allusion to more resignations or sackings.

"[There was] a real buzz in the air ... [Healthscope] seem to be sincere," one specialist said of the meeting at the hospital.

The doctors in attendance were invited to air their grievances department-by-department during the meeting.

Healthscope executives scheduled emergency meetings with hospital anaesthetists and other specialities to neutralise dissent before the crisis meeting on Wednesday night.

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said he learnt of Ms Latta’s resignation only on Wednesday morning.

But Ms Latta said she always believed she should hand over the reins to a new leader once the hospital was operational.

"The time has come for this to happen, so I made the decision to resign from my role and from Healthscope," Ms Latta wrote.

"I have debated the timing and it’s unfortunate that whilst I submitted my resignation prior to the recent events, I’ve decided the time is now.

The new Northern Beaches Hospital in Frenchs Forest.Credit: Nick Moir

"The running of an enterprise of this size and complexity takes a huge amount of energy, I’ve run my leg of the race and it’s time to pass the baton."

State manager of Healthscope NSW Stephen Gameren has been appointed acting chief executive. Ms Latta will remain for a transition period of four weeks.

I have debated the timing and it’s unfortunate that whilst I submitted my resignation prior to the recent events, I’ve decided the time is now.

Outgoing Northern Beaches Hospital CEO Deborah Latta

Mr Hazzard said Ms Latta told him that she was feeling "quite tired" and she had been intending to resign at some appropriate time.

"She now considered this an appropriate point," Mr Hazzard said. "I want to thank Deb Latta. She actually has done an amazing job bringing together both the design and the building of Northern Beaches Hospital."

Mr Hazzard repeated his characterisation of the problems as "teething issues".

"The bottom line here is we have a fantastic hospital," he said, adding one specialist had described it as "Disneyland for doctors".

"The technology is amazing, the staff are incredible, but there are some teething problems, and I’m sure the new management will work through those with us very constructively.

"This morning there was an abdominal aortic aneurysm that occurred Friday night and the patient was an hour away from death ... because of the expertise they were able to save that patient’s life."

I want to thank Deb Latta. She actually has done an amazing job bringing together both the design and the building of Northern Beaches Hospital.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard

On Monday Mr Hazzard said he had given Healthscope a three-week deadline to fix the problems.

"There [are] still some issues around junior doctor staffing," he said, but Healthscope had already addressed supply shortage issues.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the hospital's transition "still had a little way to go". "But within the month we expect the hospital to be up and running as you’d expect," she said.

NSW Opposition Leader Michael Daley called the events a "debacle" and questioned why Healthscope had to appoint an interim chief executive if Ms Latta’s departure was planned.

"This is not something that inspires confidence in the health system," Mr Daley said.

Labor health spokesman Walt Secord said the public-private hospital was the "Americanisation of the health system" that put "profits before patients".

Australian Medical Association NSW president Kean-Seng Lim said he was pleased to see the hospital operator taking action to address "the crisis that has enveloped the facility".

"These are good steps forward and I look forward to a better working relationship between management and staff," he said.