Doctors revolt against medical college that sacked chair for speaking out

Doctors are staging a revolt against one of Australia’s top medical colleges after it sacked one of its chairs for speaking out against fraudulent medical billing.

The Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA) has been inundated with complaints from members after it asked Associate Professor Joanna Sutherland to resign as safety and quality committee chair following her recent comments to this masthead. Sutherland said Australia’s medical billing system lacked transparency and exposed consumers to exploitation.

Associate professor and specialist anaesthetist Joanna Sutherland.

The members are demanding that the NSW-based anaesthetist be reinstated to her voluntary position.

One email to the college from nine Victorian anaesthetists described Sutherland’s comments as “measured and justified”.

“We are aware, as are you, of the tireless work carried out by Dr Sutherland over many years to maintain and improve the safety of our patients and the integrity of our profession,” said the letter, which was signed by Barbara Robertson, Barbara Rodriguez, Meghan Cooney, Antoinette Brennan, Valerie Taylor, Michael Clifford, Craig Noonan, Noel Roberts and Richard Barnes.

“We urge ANZCA to step back from this hasty decision, apologise to Dr Sutherland and restore her as chair of the safety and quality committee.”

The drama unfolded after Sutherland was quoted in an article earlier this month that detailed allegations that dozens of anaesthetists and surgeons on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula had engaged in fraud, double-dipping and pocketing off-the-book fees. The claims – revealed exclusively by this masthead – have sparked investigations by a federal regulator and private health insurers.

“If these allegations are found to be true, in my view, that’s outrageous, unethical and it would be unacceptable,” she was quoted as saying in The Age. “Consumers are ripe for exploitation.”

The morning after the article was published, ANZCA president Professor Dave Story wrote to Sutherland to request that she resign as chair of the safety and quality committee.

He accused her of tarnishing the reputation of her peers, and said the college had lost confidence in her ability to “hold this very important role” because she did not notify it of her plans to speak out.

Senior anaesthetist Richard Halliwell, who works in Sydney, suggested the college’s actions sent a concerning message to anaesthetists who wanted to speak out about alleged misconduct.

“Anaesthetists may now feel that there is a culture where if they speak up, there will be repercussions,” he said.

“Patients should feel that if there is something unethical happening, anaesthetists will be able to speak out freely.”

Halliwell, who has also emailed the ANZCA to express his concerns, said Sutherland’s forced resignation was a distraction from the real issue at play: investigating unethical billing practices.

Another senior anaesthetist, who did not want to be identified because they have held many roles with the college and fear retribution, said the ANZCA’s response made it look like it had something to cover up.

“If you have an organisation where you can’t trust people in high places to speak out, then you have a problem,” they said.

They described Sutherland’s initial comments as reasonable and said she had been trying to protect the college’s reputation.

ANZCA has already appointed an interim chair to replace Sutherland.

Senior anaesthetist Dr Michael Levitt said the college asked Sutherland to stand down after it was inundated with complaints from “hundreds” of fellows who were concerned about her comments.

He was among those who complained.

“She besmirched the reputation of her colleagues,” said Levitt, who is a past chair of the NSW state committee of the Australian Society of Anaesthetists. “You can’t go off half-cocked accusing people of illegal action when there was no evidence.”

Sutherland, who is a specialist anaesthetist and holds a clinical academic role at UNSW, said she had been overwhelmed by the support she had received from her peers.

“They think the college’s action has been inappropriate,” she said.

“This is not about me, it’s about being able to speak up for ethical practice and a system that is not designed in the interests of patients.”

She said while the majority of anaesthetists charged patients appropriately, the billing system should be improved to allow patients to compare transparent prices between providers.

ANZCA did not quantify how many complaints it had received, but said dozens of anaesthetists had also been in contact to show their support for the college.

“The chair and committee members are dedicated to making anaesthesia safe for patients and the college recognises their valuable contribution,” Story said. “The committee’s remit does not include billing practices.”

He said the college did not condone the billing practices alleged in The Age and called on relevant regulatory authorities to investigate any claims of fraudulent behaviour.

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